What I've Been Up To...The Modern Farmhouse

Well, I know there are lots of people who are very busy, and I have now joined their ranks!!  I am now officially an Interior Decorator!!  {And I've also started subbing at my kids school!}

My friend Haley and I finally launched our website at the end of September!!  With her health issues (which we are still praying over) our biz has taken a much needed backseat....but we are running strong and excited about this new adventure!!!

I would love for you to check out the website The Modern Farmhouse!  Here are pictures of some of the work we have done.

August 2015

Look at me!!  Almost caught up!  Hahaha!!  August was fast and furious!

*Aug 1st was spent gathering school supplies and hanging out at the UT Coop.
*Aug 3rd Haley had a huge surgery...she looks pretty laid back and happy here, but it was a difficult day for all involved.  At then end of the day (many hours later than we expected), we were told she was cancer free.  {That would however not be the case...but that is for another time.}
*Aug 5th I went on a run and found a GORGEOUS mirror!  Great reward for getting up early and dragging my butt around for 2 miles!  Haha!!
*At Grandma's house we love to play games...especially Dominos!
*Aug 12th was my dad's birthday...apparently I didn't take any pictures of him...pathetic.  Sorry Dad.
*Aug 13th was my MIL's birthday...and again no pic of her.  I did take them, but for some reason they didn't show up when I made the collage.  But I did get one of Papaw and Owen.  Bittersweet picture....we miss him.
*The littles and I went to Hob Lob and what do ya know...Christmas EVERYWHERE!!  I was happy!
*Aug 15th Joey and I went on a day date to La Madeline and just talked.  It was so nice just to sit and be together.  Oh, and the food was INCREDIBLE!!
*Aug16th I snapped a cute pic of our favorite babysitter with B.
*Later that day we headed to the pool and Joey made himself a redneck float.  Mhm...
*Aug 19th the kiddos had their own little waterpark in Gma's backyard.  :)

{and now to switch things up, and to keep you guessing...we will go counter clockwise around! haha!}

*Aug 20th was Meet the Teacher Night.

*Aug 21st we officially closed on our house.  I definitely miss our sweet home, but I am glad that it is now owned by a great couple.  I know they are great because they invited us over already!! :))

*Aug 23rd we went to lunch with our friends, The Watts.  Pizza Hut...always a favorite!

*That night we prepared for the first day of school by following tradition and reading our favorite books to Owen.  I might've cried myself to sleep later that night...but no pics of that.  You're welcome.

*Aug 24th I started back to work...or inservice...or whatever you call meetings for preschool.  But this day I had CPR and First Aid Training.  We were bored. ;))

*That afternoon it was so cute to see the two middles helping the littlest with his "homework".

*Aug 25th I put the finishing touches on my classroom.  It's monster themed, if ya couldn't tell!

*Later on that week we stopped over at Haley's house and I snapped this sweet picture of all the girls.  I will frame this and hang it in B's new room.  So precious!

*Aug 28th Grandpa brought over a truck for Owen to build and paint...Gpa ended up doing most of the work, but Owen colored it beautifully! ;)

Ugly Shirt Revisited

Soooooo....my Uncle (really my cousin, but I've always referred to him as my uncle) and my dad bought matching shirts in 1976.  Apparently there was a really big sale at Sears.  And as you can see by the picture, the shirts were probably on MAJOR clearance!!!  Haha!!

What you can't see in these pictures is my dad's hairy belly hanging out the bottom!!!  Dying laughing!!  I wish I had the original picture of them....but hey, duck faces on men this "experienced" is pretty awesome too!!

Kinder, 2nd, 4th. 8th and Puffy Eyes

 THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR ALL MY KIDS!!!  Bring on the tears.  

Aidan- 13, 8th grade; Breslyn- 7, 2nd grade; Owen- 5, Kinder; Finley- 9, 4th grade

I took these three to school first...and everyone was happy, smiling and ready to get into their respective classrooms!!

This one...I do believe he was a little nervous.  He's holding my hand...can I tell you how much I love that one of my kiddos still holds my hand?  Oh, this made it even harder for my momma heart.  

No picture of Finley....he's getting too old for that.  He just took off towards his class and I didn't see him again till pick up. :(  I then took Aidan to school...of course no pics of him.  Duh....  I promptly dropped him off and bawled all the way home.  I came home, ate some breakfast, went shopping and to lunch with Gma (and had a wonderful time) and then headed back for my munchkins.  

Then we ran some errands and went to pick up Aidan from football practice.  Annnnnnd THAT'S when I snuck a picture with my cell phone!!  Hahaha!!

All four had a great day.  Two weeks in now and we are finding our groove.  I still miss my little buddy, but hopefully that will help me appreciate the weekends a lot more.  :)

Meet the Teacher 2015

So we are two weeks into school, so it's about time I share pics from Meet the teacher night!  Haha!

I took lots of outside pictures with my good camera only to get home and realize they were all overexposed.  So disappointed!  So this one on my phone will have to work.  

We went inside and finally met all their teachers.  Owen has Ms. Hunter and she is so cute!!  Ashlee gives her the thumbs up so we are happy!! ;)

Only one pic of Finn. :/  He really liked the fact that his teacher was a man and that he loves science fiction just like Finn.  Joey and I KNOW we KNOW Mr. Caldwell from somewhere, but we still haven't figured it out yet.  Ugh!  

The biggest happy moment of the night was finding out B has Ms. Dean!!!!  Finley had her for 2nd and 3rd and we really wanted B to have her as well!  We got our wish and Breslyn was over the moon excited!!

It was a very exciting night and we all went to bed exhausted!! :)

July 2015

Another month...summer was long, and July was no exception.  I was mostly busy packing, so there aren't as many "fun" pics this month.  

*July 1st I continued to pack, clean and do a little lawn labor.  

*July 2nd we visited our new neighborhood's pool....Aidan and Joey tried synchronized jumping.  They weren't so great at it!! :)

*July 3rd the littles rode on a carosel at Ridgmar Mall....it's tiny, but they still had a great time.

*July 4th....well that involved a pic with my cutie, some tractor riding, food and fireworks!  

*Hey....a packing pic!!  Ya gotta be careful with those paper straws!!! Haha!!

*July 11th I snapped a picture of the demo work I was doing in my parent's kitchen.  Good times...I abhor that stinkin wood paneling.  But the shiplap behind it made it allllllll worth it! (BTW---my parents kitchen in amazing and they have worked so hard to make it beautiful!!  Will share a picture later!)

*July 16th I went to a planning party!  I fell in love with a friend's ARC planner from Staples.  I loved the look of it, but I'm still learning how to use it.
*That week Finn had to have some blood work done, and as a treat to him (and all the kiddos) we went and saw Minions after his appointment.  It was very cute!
*July 25th Owen and I continued to do demo work on Gaga and Gpa's kitchen and Joey helped Gpa outside.  Breslyn was working hard as you can tell!  Haha!!
*July 28th and 29th I went over and took care of Haley....It had been a very rough start to the week, passing out, doubled over in pain, shaking, swearing.  This would be the point that she realized her pain couldn't just be from chemo.
*July 31st the kids played in the pool again...Owen was really getting daring!!  So proud of him!
*And while we were at the neighborhood pool we checked out the house progress!!  Oh how I LOVE that big ol door!!!  It caused us some irritation, but it was all worth it!!

Wow...another summer month gone. :)  Peace out July!

Fourth Fireworks

 This year on July 4th we were invited by some friends from church to a party at their house.  There was good food, good company, a great live band and amazing fireworks.  Like every year I try to get pictures of the show, and every year they turn out fuzzy, dark, pathetic.  This year however I learned a new trick on my phone that helped me get better photos!!  I was super impressed by the show...seeing as how it was put on in their backyard!!

"So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring." — Martin Luther King Jr.

June 2015

Hello June!!  You were a busssssssy one!  But lots of fun was had for sure!

*June 2nd I painted my front door red and continued preparing our house to be put on the market.  What a task....it did help me purge, organize and finally have a minimalist look I really like!
*While getting ready for the photographer to come and take professional pics of the house I straigtened like a mad woman.  Seeing the pics of B and O's room makes me a little sad.
*June 5th was the last day of school and these two were ready!!!
*June 8th we headed over to Ashlee's pool for some swim fun!!  Breslyn loves her some Camille!
*That week we also started our church's VBS program at a local park!!  It wasn't crazy hot, the wind didn't blow ALL of our crafts away and the kids were very good...much better than last year!;)  It makes my heart so happy to see Joey and Aidan get involved in VBS.  :))
*June 10th Joey and I celebrated 15 years of marriage!!  We had a nice day date and discussed our wonderful life together!  Haha!  Love you babe!

*June 12th B got a BIGGGG haircut!!  I love it and she looks precious in it....I think I've given up on her long locks, but I will NEVER give up on her bows!!
*The rest of June was spent on vacation....we hit up Maumelle, Arkansas, Fall Creek Falls, Chattanooga and Franklin, TN!!!  It was a long trip, but always so wonderful to see family!!  A few highlights from the trip---LOTS of pool time--the kids and I hiked the falls this year (1.5 miles down).  I was so so proud to have done it.  (I paid for it later with a jacked up knee and weeks of pain)--I discovered these awesome pics of my mom and my favorite aunt as well as a pic of me from about 20 years ago--we hit up a favorite restaurant, Pucketts, in beautiful Franklin.  I wish Joey would have been able to join us, but he had to work.  :(
*We rounded out the month with going to a birthday party for a sweet girl from our church.
*June 29th both Breslyn and Owen started Tennis camp!!  Owen was TIRED by the end of each day! :)  B had a great time, and will probably want to do it again soon!!

Phew...June.is.done!  :))))

I NEED Some Fall!!!

Tell me I am not alone in my longing for crisp cool air, warm blankets, snuggling, pumpkins, beautiful yellow and orange leaves and newness!???!!  Oh wait...here in Texas we get about a day of Fall, but even that I do thoroughly enjoy!