So close to a finished kitchen! (and a big update!)

We have been working on our kitchen for a month or so now, painting bits and pieces as we can. Of course I had to start with my favorite red accent wall (painted a lovely Glidden "Red Delicious" ). It was all very exciting, and after 3 coats of paint looked red enough (apparently red is very impossible to paint on and this is a common amount of paint for a red wall). Now this "wall" is finished, and it's surrounding areas. :) I am so happy! And I love the beautiful dozen red roses that Mike bought me to add to this picture! (don't look too close, he bought them just a bit before we could get the picture :) The curtains were my finishing touch that I just finished sewing before the picture was taken around 11 pm. (sewing is very difficult with a toddler).
And for those who haven't seen- these are our new washer and dryer! Toddler is in love with them, as you can see. And I pretty much am also! :)
Well, lets see. Why don't I update on things other than the kitchen. As you've all seen or heard-Baby is no longer- he is Toddler! He can walk! We are so proud of him and it makes life SOOO much easier! I know you all say it will be harder and I'll look back and wish he would just sit, but there is no looking back! I have loved every minute of it! He can play around the house with me, and my favorite is he can play outside with me. Thank you fenced in yard! I just close the gates and we play/ garden for hours! Yay!

Oh, I guess I should mention the cuts that come with walking. Well this (below) was our week. Hmm, "Scar"-like cut over eyebrow that's healing now is from running into the railing on Monday. The big gash that goes from nose, over lip and into teeth is from crashing into the cedar chest Thursday, and the newest cut across eyebrow is from slipping while on hardwood floor into a wooden toybox. Owie! He takes it so well!

Speaking of gardening, I've been getting started! Maybe I jumped the gun on a few things, but my seeds are in their tiny pots in my greenhouse (ready to be rushed inside should it really get cold again!), my carrots and onions are planted with the help of my tiny downstairs neighbor! :) Thanks K! And today I took a few hours to get rid of grass in my strawberry beds and planted raspberries next to the strawberries. All this after a lovely class about pruning from my sis-in-law Katie at Olsen's Greenhouse! So fun! The flower beds are slowly being cleaned and readied for their beauty (the beauty I thank the previous owners for since I only clean the beds!)

The sun makes me happy. That's all I can say about that!


Along with gardening and walking fun are babies! Not mine of course, but my sisters'. Chelsy had her sweet boy(above) and Jessica is so very close! We've had fun with visits to both houses to help out and keep them entertained (if you know someone who's miserably pregnant- go entertain them right now! They will love you! Just make sure they don't have to do anything but sit to have the fun! :). But Toddler can only handle so much of their lovely girls before he just gives up and comes running to me! So we had to take a little break from the visits :) We'll come out of our yard boundaries soon! :)
Seriously- how much of this can one little boy handle?? :) He doesn't mind the princesses too much tho! :)

All of these activities are spoken of without mention of Mike. That is because he's not around much... to no fault of his own. It's the government and those taxes! He's still working at a tax firm and as you all know April 15th is coming up, and as many may not know, March 15th is even closer and that's the deadline for business taxes... or something like that. So Toddler enjoys his daddy from 7-8am and that's about it till the weekend, and now until Sunday since Mike work's Saturdays too. But he does get to play sometimes- as shown above :)

Well, I did say sewing with a toddler was difficult, but it's even harder when you are trying to sew his new favorite blanket made with his favorite, and the softest material ever! So I did this in the evenings when he was asleep. Otherwise he comes and rolls up in the fabric while I'm trying to measure or cut! Now he's attached...
And doesn't often let go! :) (he is eating the blanket while hugging it, not crying)


Playgroup with Alene's sweet baby! 6 months younger than Toddler, but competing with him for size! :) We're trying to get together with old friends. Especially since we have so much time to ourselves now that daddy's not home much.

And of course I've still been doing Zumba!! Yay! This is our February party that was a BLAST!! Here's me with Alene, Teresa and a ward friend Megan. I won that hat, skirt and a CD from the fun prizes at the party. Now Teresa comes with me regularly and it's a blast! To anyone who has always wanted to try it- come with me! It's free the first time! And if you want to sign up it's only $25 a month, but if you sign up this month I get a free month, so I'll totally split it with you and you'll get a half-off month!! Yay for the cheapest but best Zumba around!!! (Seriously, my teacher Chantelle is the BEST!)

Well, you can go ahead and take a month to read this... because its probably going to be awhile before I post again! :)