Reorganizing the chaos that is my bedroom...

I have spent a good deal of time today reorganizing our bedroom. Its the room that seems to accumulate all the leftover "crap" from every other place in the house. Our bedroom closet is so full, everything trickles it way into our bedroom.

We have several bookshelves that aren't being used properly, so I moved a small one out and 2 larger ones in. They look nicer, if nothing else. I now have 2 shelves, 2 desks, 2 computers, and 2 dressers in my room. Its time to get some stuff outta here!

I am taking the behemoth desk we have been using for the past 10 years out (it is as ugly as sin) and replacing it with one of my trash treasures (found out at the curb for FREE). It is smaller and will look TONS better once painted (same mossy green as the base cabinet in my kitchen).

One of the computers needs to be mailed out. It is a loaner from K12 from when we did home school. Those days are SO over! And that computer is SO outta here! Woohoo!

I have been narrowing down the books I plan to keep. I don't know why getting rid of home school books is so hard. I guess they cost so stinking much. But I need to regain some space. So out go about 75% of those suckas! Goodbye!

Papers, papers, papers... I now have a large trash bag full of papers. I hated going through all of that. But its done. What's that I hear? Angels singing?

Its nearly done. I am just so burned out already that I do not want to finish. But I will. And I will be pleased with the results.

Tomorrow we have guests coming over. Maddi (the cutie bug I will be watching soon) is coming over with her Mom and Dad. We are having dinner. And the house needs to look good. We have been cleaning all day (everyone) and we are all tired of it. But the house is presentable now. I'll just keep everyone out of my bedroom...

Our Anniversary

Dan and I celebrated our 12th Anniversary tonight. Its hard to believe that its been 12 years since our wedding. I scheduled a sitter a week or more ago and we still had no definite plans as we walked out the door. We ended up seeing Avatar 3-D, which we loved. Afterward, we just picked up chinese take-out. When did we get so lame? I guess that's what old, fat people do... ;)

Dan made the joke that we are getting behind. We had 5 kids by our 10th anniv., so naturally we should have 6 now, right? Haha. Funny. I am not even ready to consider whether or not I will have another. When and if the time is right, i will know. Its just not now.

Reflections Upon the Past 12 Years:

We've made some mistakes, but getting married is not one. We have struggled along with finances, schooling, callings, illnesses, and raising a family. But the important thing is that we did it together and grew in unity. I still look at my now plump husband (I'm no looker myself now) and see that hot, cute boy I fell in love with. And more. Now I see the hard worker he is, intelligent, patient, and loving. He has served with all his heart and soul in his priesthood positions and has been such a wonderful father and husband, as well. And he stills makes me giggle. He is my love. And he always will be.

To all those people that advised me against getting married to this young man: I am glad that we, as a unified team, proved you wrong! :P

To all those soliciting unwanted advice about when we should start our family, because its better to "wait and have fun first": Your advice might have cost me my eldest son, and :P on you!

I am going to bed tonight feeling very grateful for my loving husband and to my Father in Heaven for sending him my way. I am also thankful for my 5 stinkers, 2 of which are already asleep in our bed, waiting to make me into a "mommy sandwich" (they have heat-seeking mommy sensors that always find me no matter where I am). At least I never have to sleep alone. ;)

The Shutters and Paper Free Walls

This is just an add-on from my remodeling post. I like the colors I chose. It is a drastic change from the burgandy and once white floral pattern on the wall. It is light and bright and cheerful. Go, me!

General Update on The Fam

I am no longer homeschooling. I could keep it up, but I just feel that for now that this is best for our family. Dallin is a fifth grader and doing well overall. He still has issues, mainly will the kids being generally cruel, but he is learning to cope. Poor kid. Aubree and Zoe are in third and first grades this year and loving it. Aubree is such a good student. She brought home a report card with all A+. She even had 100 on one subject. Zoe is having a hard time with reading and spelling, but she was developmentally delayed on her speech, so that's kinda normal. She works hard and LOVES her teacher. She'll catch up. Cole will begin school next Fall and cannot wait. He enjoys playing with his BF, Scott and being with Grammie. Emma is our fiesty little princess. She loves being home with Mommy and enjoys seeing Grammie regularly. Next month I will be watching a beautiful little baby girl, Maddison (Maddi). Her mommy heads back to work as a teacher and Maddi will be in my care during school hours. She will NOT like me at first, but I am excited. I'll get me baby fix. Dan has been hating work (he is so antsy when he's been somewhere awhile), but he's been working hard for his family. He still dreams of his farm. One day... I have been doing home projects and still do not seem to ever het ahead of housework, even without homeschooling. Thats about it.

New Year, New Kitchen

Yes, its been some time since I last blogged. I repent. Forgive me.

I have been working hard on home updates. My kitchen was numero uno on the list. I am half finished, but it looks so much better! I started by stripping off the worst wallpaper ever! The sad secret: it was the original builder's wallpaper, circa 1983! Puke! I have hated since stepping foot in this place and it is finally gone. Forever! It only took me nearly 5 years to get brave enough to attempt it. In 4 hours of sweat and elbow grease, my kitchen looked so much better. Its sad when bare sheetrock looks awesome!

After the stripdown, I went to work on painting. I found an awesome alternative to texturing the walls myself. I bought texturizer that mixes in with the paint and it did the job just fine. I went with a buttercreamish color on the walls, which brightens things up drastically. Love it! And I painted all trims and doors a bright white. Ah! Fresh and bright! I rock!

Costs: stripping wallpaper, free. paint, $36. Texturizer, $2 on sale. Supplies, $10. total : $48

I have a nice base cabinet that was unfinished (paid $15 at a garage sale 5 years ago). I painted it a mossy green color that matched a set of shutters that I bought from an architectural salvage yard a few years back ($7 ea). With very little fresh paint and a lot of sealant, the shutters are back up in the windowsill, looking G-O-O-D!

Costs for paint and sealant: $8

Mom and I found a nice shelf that is sitting atop the base cabinet in the trash last year (that's free, baby). With a little textured, paintable wallpaper (for the interior) and some bright white paint, the shelving unit looks gorgeous. I love the way it looks and I need it for more storage space. Have I ever told you I rock? Well, I do.

Costs: textured wallpaper, free (grandparents rock).

Next on the list: Paint the cabinets white and distress and antique them (and distress and antique the shelf, too). Then, new countertops. I am cheap (and poor) so I will be going with faux granite, laminate. New flooring is also on the list. I will do the stickable tile that looks like travertine, set on the diagonal. Its cheap, easy, and looks much better than the current flooring. We desperately need new lighting, so that is going up. Lastly, we need a new garbage disposal because the current one stinks. Literally. And it hardly works.

Projected costs: about $500 total, unless I can work more of my magic.

Next on the lists of home projects: Girls' room (total redo), Living Room (paint update), Hallways (paint update)...