Luke's Top 25!

Today is Luke's 5th Birthday!  Just about this time 5 years ago, my youngest came into the world with the soul of an old man.  He has been a blessing to this family, and we are so excited to help him celebrate the passing of one year and the beginning of another! Here is Luke's Top 25!

1) Luke is still called Bubba.
2) He is 46 inches tall.
3) Luke's favorite food is Mac & Cheese.
4) His least favorite food is anything green.
5) His favorite past time is Scooby Doo on the Wii, being read to, puzzles and Legos.
6) His least favorite thing to do is getting dressed for the day.
7) Luke's favorite book is anything on Dinos and any book about Scooby Doo.
8) His best buddy is Trent.
9) We refer to Luke as our "old man" because he never has a good time, the answer is always "no" to any question, and he hates going anywhere. He just wants to be home.
10) Luke's defining feature is his "Dennis the Menace" tuft of hair that always sticks up on the top of his head.
11) He will eat anything chocolate.
12) He still has his own style of dress.
13) His favorite place to eat dinner is Big View Diner.
14) Luke is a closet hoarder.  He loves to pack bags with tiny toys.  This concerns me.
15) He claims that he hates the girl next door, but I have a feeling that will change.
16) His favorite color is blue and always insist on having the blue cup and matching blue plate for any meal.
17) He has a love-hate relationship with his big brother. 
18) His favorite movie is The Avengers.
19) He is very independent and insists on doing EVERYTHING himself.
20) Luke starts Kindergarten next year and is not happy about it.
21) His favorite thing to do outside is ride his bike.
22) He still loves to be held.
23) His favorite superhero is Spider-man
24) He can be a little dramatic and talks with his hands.
25) His big, brown eyes still keep him out of trouble!

We started the day with chocolate toast!

 

 

 

 

Then we had chocolate Avengers cake!

 

Then we had chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.  He is on sugar lock down for the next month!

 

Luke requested just about everything he saw a commercial for or anything he saw in the store.  His favorite was the Spider-man web shooter with a glove.  I expect spider goop all over the house.

And, I had to throw these in.  These are a few of Luke's Lego creations.  He was rather proud of them! 

Happy Birthday, Bubba!  They certainly broke the mold when you came along!

XOXO

 

Kitchen Redo!

Well, I have neglected family, friends and all of the housework, but I have finally finished my most monumental project yet! Here is my finished kitchen!

 

 

In case you are wondering, this is what I started with. They are just a basic honey-colored oak.  I just wanted a more updated look, so I stained them.  I used this tutorial http://www.monicawantsit.com/2012/02/staining-oak-cabinets-espresso-color.html I found on Pinterest (again, surprised?).  I loved the look of her bathroom cabinets and really wanted it for the kitchen.  However, I have never done anything like this before, so I tried it out in the boys bathroom first (see the post Summer Projects).  I was very happy with it, but I knew the kitchen would take forever to do. I kept putting it off until I started to paint and realized I would not be happy until I just did it.  Here are some before pics:

If you decide to do this, it is VERY messy and smelly!  I tried my best to keep windows open. 

I did not get a very good before picture of the lighting we had. It is at least visible in the top left corner of the above pic. It was a basic, long box, with fluorescent lighting.  I really wanted to take that out and put up a nice fixture, but I just wasn't willing to pay a lot of money for one.  I looked at several resale shops and on Craigslist.  I finally found one at the ReStore and Lyndon wired and hung it for me.  Not bad for $40! Plus it is not fluorescent, so my gray walls actually look gray rather than violet!

 

I also have searched in lots of places for replacement knobs.  I found some really cute ones mainly from Anthropologie; however, I just can't justify $8 a knob especially with 40 drawers and cabinets to outfit. Anyway, I had done a craft using glass beads with the boys over the summer (see post: As for the rest of Summer) , and I wondered if I could make something like that into a knob. I was very excited that it actually worked, and I will be sure to do a separate tutorial for those of you who care! Here is a picture of one of them!

 

So, basically, I managed to do this project for about $200. Here is a rundown of what I bought:

1) Chalkboard paint $13

2) Gray paint from Valspar for $30

3) Stain and Topcoat for about $50

4) Glass beads from Michael's 3 bags at about $3 per bag: $9 in all

5) hardware and glue for the knobs $45 at a local hardware store

6) Tack clothe, heavy duty rubber gloves, paint roller, paint edger, small foam brushes, and plastic drop clothes all about $20

7) light fixture $40

8) old frame (on the chalkboard wall) $5

 

All we need now is a new dishwasher, oven and at some point new counter tops, and we are golden! 

Happy Remodeling!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am afraid this is just the beginning!

In case it is not obvious, I wrote this for him.  I think he really wanted it to be clear.  He did, however, tell me word for word what to write, and he proofread it. She did come through for him!

 

Sorry this is sideways.  I could NOT get it to turn!

 

 

One of Logan's class assignments.  Good rules to follow!

 

Just a few items from the start of Logan's 1st grade year!  Keep in mind that this was only the end of the 4th week of school...

Happy September!

Yard project!

 

We started our yard project today!  Let me just say that I really don't mind yard work.  I actually like to mow and trim hedges etc., but I suck at it!  I DO NOT have a green thumb.  I am terrible with grass, and the only reason the bushes and other stuff is still alive is because it is really low maintenance.  I am always amazed every spring when they come back.  I managed to kill off a huge chunk of grass in the middle of the summer by over-zealously fertilizing, and I desperately tried to get it to grow again.  It was just too hot and sunny in this spot, so I finally sought out help from people who actually know what they are doing.  I inquired about a different type of grass, but the person I spoke to suggested we just give up the fight and do what a lot of people do which is go yardless.  This is all I have thought about for about two weeks now.  I looked at hundreds of pictures, and talked about it until I drove Lyndon and several other people crazy.  This is basically phase 1! We still need to put in some plants and do some stuff to the other side, but this is a good start! And, I would like to thank all of my fabulous neighbors who came out to help.  They made the work go so much faster and definitely made it more fun! I am very happy with it, and can't wait to get the plants going.  More to come down the road! 

Fall has begun!

Logan played in his very first flag football game Saturday!  He did a great job and even scored a touchdown!  It is bitter sweet for this mama.  He loves football, but I cringe at the idea of him playing tackle football! At least for now, we can just use the age thing to keep him where he is! 

I missed the shot of him actually making the touchdown.  I couldn't get the camera going in time, but this is the after shot. Good one, huh?  He did the Forrest Gump thing where he just kept running.  His coach had to yell after him to come back.

 

And, in other news...

 

 

...we had a small funeral service for a roly poly that Luke managed to keep alive for two days.  He insisted that we make a home for it and give it food.  I am not sure of the cause of death, but it probably had something to do with being smothered.  At any rate, he is now resting in the front yard flower bed.  Luke was very sad, but he has moved on to the giant worm he found today. 

 

And,

 

Logan came home on Friday with a note from his teacher that he really had lost his tooth during lunch.  She said they looked all over for it and thought that maybe he had swallowed it.  He was very concerned that the Tooth Fairy would not come, so he asked me to write a note.  He told me word for word what to say.  I am not sure why he insisted I write it, but I did.  She did visit him, and he got a dollar which Lyndon says is just crazy.  Then, he lost another tooth today.  At least he will have money in his piggy bank for me to borrow now! 

 

 

 

 

Project!

 

I have had this chalk board paint for about 6 months now.  I finally got around to putting in on one of my kitchen walls!  I love the way it turned out.  I also found that very old window frame at a thrift shop.  I decided I did not want to paint it and wanted the antique look, but I did go over it with some spray on sealer to keep the rest of the existing paint from coming off.  I thought it would be a fun way to put up the menu for the week. Now I know why I put off painting anything.  It just made me realize that I may as well finish out the kitchen which is going to be a major undertaking because that includes painting the rest of the walls and staining the cabinets.  And, that means I have to then do the dining room and ultimately the hallway, living room and stairway.  And, if I am going to paint the stairway, I may as well go ahead and rip up the carpet on the stairs and paint them. And, there are a couple of light fixtures that need to be updated...

School is here!!

 

Luke started his last year of pre-school today!  I had to work to get this picture, and he refused to put down his toy, but at least he kind of smiled! 

 

Logan started his 1st grade year last week!  He is a little more excited about school than Luke, but I think Luke will be way more excited next year when he gets to go to school with Logan.

 

I made it through both days without crying, but in fairness, we are all in need of a break from each other and really needed the change in routine.  Next year will be a completely different story...at least I have one more year to get used to the idea of them both getting on that bus.

 

Praying for a smooth and fun school year!

Last days of summer!

 We had a very busy last month of summer.  I did not capture everything, but here are some random pics from our last couple of weeks!

This is the only picture I have of him upright.

I can't keep this bird feeder full!

In case you are wondering, this is a bird feeder I stole from Lyndon and put ribbon in it.  I saw something on Pinterest (surprised?) that said the birds will use ribbon and yarn for their nest.  I am pretty sure none of it has been touched at this point, but it is cute in theory!

Logan tried to capture the mountains from the moving car. I don't think it worked very well.

 

We took a trip to the mountains with Nana and Papa! 

 

Biltmore!

 If you have never seen this place, make sure to put it on your to-do list (sorry the picture is so dark). 

We also took in Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN!  This is a really cute amusement park, and we were  impressed with the rides and activities for the boys.  We were there all day and still did not get to do everything! There are also a ton of shows to see.

 

I could not resist this pic!  We were watching a group of performers sing a bunch of country songs.  I could not tell if he was bored or really into it.

Upon our return from the mountains, we helped take care of this cutie!! He LOVES squeaky toys, fyi!

We also returned to this...a long story that ended in staples and bruising from another dog at the kennel.  We will not be taking her there again, and luckily, the wounds healed without any issues. My heart broke for her, and it is not even worth the time to express how I feel about Club K-9! I think she was pretty embarrassed by the cone especially when her friend (see pic above) came over to hang out.

 

Happy September!!