#35

Happy Birthday to Jacob (two days late).

Jacob turned 35 on Wednesday. We celebrated tonight. Betsy and her family came over for dinner and cake. Jacob requested chicken enchiladas and his (norm) favorite applesauce cake. What happened to the cake you ask? It doesn't turn out when you accidentally forget the baking soda. So I substituted for strawberry-mango tortes (and we didn't have to count ridges.)

Jacob is a superb father and a wonderful husband. I hope this year is really great for him.

Bedrooms (part deux)

The bedrooms are finally put together. At least for the kids. Jacob and I still haven't even started our bedroom. Since we sold our bedroom set in Idaho, our bedroom is still bare.
Kirsten chose her room and I love her bed! The drawers in the bottom is a nice place for storage!
McKay's room was the last to complete. I sanded and painted her bed as well. This time it went faster and was easier. I already have my next sanding / staining project, you will have to stay tuned for that one.McKay put together her bedroom all by herself. She did get the smallest room but she got her own bathroom with it. And even though it's the smallest (it's still pretty big) I think it's the coziest.

Bedrooms

Yesterday was Jacob's birthday.
And this was him the day before. He usually takes a little snooze after dinner. I think that's what age can do to you. It's probably more from working full time and staying up late. Anyway, Jacob texted me in the morning and said that we were playing volleyball on a team that night with some friends from work so we are going to celebrate on Friday when Betsy and her family can join us. More pictures of this occasion will come later.
This is the what came to be with my sanding / painting project. I was so happy with the outcome.
We let the kids choose a new duvet cover (since the last one they had was when I chose back in '06) and a bed (within reason). After I put Katanya's new cover on, she informed me that it had forgotten the circle pillow that was at the store with it on display. It's funny how the kids pay attention to certain details.
This is Cruz's room. (If I was to paint the kids room, which I'm not, I would paint an accent wall in green.) McKay painted the picture in the background.

More power

Today....
I used Jacob's power tools.... and I liked it. I can't wait for more projects.This one was for Katanya's bed. She wanted a pink bed....and she'll get it too.

Fitting In

Our new ward is called the Old Settler's Ward. With a name like that, how can you go wrong.

We started going to our new ward the first Sunday that we arrived in Texas. Immediately, we felt like we belonged. The first Sunday was amazing! Everyone reached out to us and we knew this is where we were supposed to be.

A month here, I was asked to speak in sacrament meeting. I was given the topic "Press On." One of the most important things I learned was that while you endure and press on it is more than just that. You need to press on in such a way that you are bringing yourself closer to Christ. And even though you may be going through trials, there can be happiness while enduring rather than thinking the happiness is at the end. I know that this is a thing that I have a lot to work on.

The next week (last week) McKay had to give a talk in sacrament too. Her talk was amazing and I was impressed. Her subject was agency and she talked on our first choice in heaven and how it was to choose agency in itself. She pointed out a fact that Satan plan wasn't just to force us to do right but it was a disguise in getting the glory and the power all for himself. She pointed out how little daily choices can end in making choices that will lead to our eternal progression and how while we have the agency to choose the consequences will always follow and those we do not get to choose.

The week I had to speak, I also got called to serve in the Young Women's. There are going to be 19 Beehives by the end of the year making it a total of 30 girls. They are all so closely knit and it's the first time that I haven't seen any "cattish" acts in the group. I'm excited to work and teach and be taught in this organization.

Now for the next question. When will Jacob speak and what will be his topic? I can't wait.

The Oasis

One of the "requests" from the kids when we were finding a house to rent was that it had a community pool. Luckily we did and I can't imagine summer without one.
This is ours. It's actually a decent size and really fun. It's a short walk from our house.
It's never really crowded and it has a 2 foot roped in section and then a bigger area ranging from 3 - 5 feet deep.
We took a break while we were moving in and unpacking for ten days but now the pool has worked it's way back into our routine. Cruz has also learned to swim and take breaths while doing so. Three kids down, one to go.
It's one more reason to love Texas.

Tile floor-1, Fiestware-0

Today we found out what happened when my Fiestaware meets the tile floor. I have a fear what the future could hold for my dishes. Cruz felt terrible for dropping the dish but by far the positives outweighed this misfortune.

1. It was not a discontinued color. 2. It was only $8 to replace. But the best part of all....

3. I got to order the new place setting color for this year. Welcome Marigold.

P.S. I will never complain about the soft bamboo wood flooring I used to have.

What it was like before we came

(Apologies now for the blurriness of the pictures. Jacob took them from his phone and I don't think he waited for it to focus.) This is what the main level LOOKED like. I didn't want to do orange again so before we put down our deposit, I asked if we could paint. The owner said yes and to make it as if it were our own home. Of course I love color but I did keep it toned down a lot this time.There are two rooms (one left and one right) when you walk in the entry way. The were painted Texas Longhorn orange. It had to go.
We painted the floorboards white first. I remembered to have pictures taken after this was done.
The living room and kitchen were a marigold yellow.
Didn't strike me to well either since the counters were a dark navy blue.We finished painting 90% of it before we moved in since we had some minor setbacks. There is one room (the game room upstairs) that we will finish this week. It's a mud brown and really clashes with our couch. (No offense to any brown / beige / coffee / or tan color loving people out there but I just can't handle that shade.)

Pictures of our Home Makeover Edition will soon follow.