"BIG" (literally) Deal

I AM OFFICIALLY IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER TOMORROW. FINALLY. I THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER COME! TWENTY WEEKS OF WANTING TO BARF ARE OVER. THE LAST EIGHT WEEKS HAVE JUST BEEN MY BELLY GETTING REALLY BIG AND FINALLY... I FEEL LIKE IT IS TIME TO GET FREAKIN EXCITED!

It's in my blood...

The end result. Blogger is so annoying that I can't get this picture to post at the end of the paragraph. A little anti-climactic!

My great-grandfather, both of my grandfathers, uncle, and dad are all woodworker handymen. Infact, on my list of requirements for a husband this was listed almost as high as being a Christian (kidding, sort-of). So it should be no surprise that when I walked into Goodwill today and saw a REAL WOOD table I got really excited. You know when you saunter over casually, but your heart is pounding and you consider how to knock people out of your way if someone happens to head that direction. Yeah that was me. I figured I would win since I could play the pregnancy card, ha!

I got home and realized that there was no way I was going to paint it.

"Dare I?'

I thought to myself.

"It wouldn't be the proper way."

I reasoned.

"But it would be so quick and MIGHT work."

This reasoning won. So I pulled up my (white) shirtsleeves, grabbed a can of dark walnut stain from the garage, and held my breath. It looks great. Now, I admit I didn't sand, dust, and prepare properly, but it was an 8 dollar table, and I was in no mood to delay the creative juices. I would do the proper technique for a bigger more expensive piece. Now I sit here and can't believe that I have to wait until tomorrow until I can put the cute candlesticks on it that I got for 1.90!

Thankfulness

Am so excited to that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. I'm really working on thankfulness and contenment right now. Starting this new budget and wanting to be thankful for all the blessings in my life. God has been so good to me. I can't believe it most of the time. I certainly don't deserve it! I changed the bible verse on the plate in my kitchen to: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever." I even found a yankee candle that says Be Thankful. I think tomorrow I am going to make a canvas to put in the living room.

So here's a list of things I am VERY thankful for:

1. Ellie-- what an amazing surprise! Didn't think I would get to have another baby and am loving that our family is growing.

2. Shane-- he's done so much for us this year and works so hard so that I can stay home with the kids, he's even supporting me homeschooling despite his concerns over having nerdy kids (haha).

3. Avery and Reece-- teaching me patience, and showing me the world through their eyes is so much more fun. Even the rough days are awesome. They make me so happy.

4. The Mom-mobile-- seriously never thought I would say that...but it has made traveling so much easier and I am LOVING the heated seats. I just figured out I can plug my cell phone into the IPOD thingy and play music off of there too, who knew?

5. My house-- After moving so many times in our almost EIGHT years together, to be settled in, at peace, and not moving mid-pregnancy is so wonderful. I love coming thru the door and making this a place for my kids to play and learn and hopefully it is a place that Shane wants to come home to

6. My dogs-- for barking at everyone that comes to the door and scaring people away and for laying at my feet when I am knitting and keeping them warm

These are just a few things that might seem silly or trivial, but truly make me feel so blessed.

Beyond Cute

So apparently my friend Melissa has become quite the quilter. She MADE this! She calls it their "family quilt" and I WANT ONE!

So this is a shout out for her to get her cute little hiney to my house for a visit and LETS GET QUILTING!

Finished hat...

Pumpkin Patch, Trick or Treating, and Carving Pumpkins

Stressful

I am trying a new budget thing. Where I enter things on Excel and see the numbers going up and down. Keeping receipts, entering totals, paying bills online...I've decided the whole thing is impossible. It doesn't ever match up and I've been more stressed out about it than ever before. I am hoping this is just an adjustment period and that soon it is all going to start working out and I can be calmer about it. Do these things always get worse before they get better? It's going to be a lean Christmas this year...ha!

A lot accomplished

Yesterday I was having tons of braxton hicks and they really wore me out, so I pretty much did nothing, but knit, two loads, of laundry, dinner, and take care of the kids. (that's sarcastic.) Even "nothing" still seems like a lot. Anyway, today I still wasn't feeling that great, but decided that since both kids were in school I needed to get some things done.

In three hours:

Groceries: a bunch of delicious organic food that I am finally excited to cook
Target- few snacks, Halloween stuff for kids party, Tinker Bell movie (don't tell Ave-for Xmas), etc...
Mall- Clinique to get my moisturizer. 34 dollars!!! Holy Cow. Mom gave me two samples and I am addicted, so there went my blow money
BedBathandBeyond- two Yankee Candles, can't go without my Cranberry Chutney, the Be Thankful smells pretty tasty too ( do you think the candles can fall into the grocery budget column since they have food names? I'm thinking so. ha!)
Panera- egg and cheese sandwich, being preggo I gots to eat!
TJMaxx-- big blue bowl for jewelry (pic coming), couple xmas gifts, two sweaters and jeans for Ave

Whew! Can't believe how much I can get done in less than three hours! I only saved 12.50 with my Kroger card today, but still came under budget at $195! ((((That's all organic people! Minus the Krispy Kreme doughnuts. It seems I have to have one junk food item in the cart. And wasn't it great when the kid threw the gallon of milk on top of them in the cart?AH! )))) Last time I saved over 45 dollars, so my expectations were a little high.

I just couln't belive that in a few months I would be doing all of this with a newborn again. I'm excited. It's fun out on my own, but I miss my kiddos!

Recent trip to thrift store:

I thought this picture of the little girl and boy standing in the rain was so cute hanging with the kids backpacks.

After a coat of red paint and then dark brown stain. Not totally sure what to put on it or hang around it.

Before pic. UGLY! I'm guessing it is really for outside. It is a pretty heavy metal piece. I even hung an anchor in the wall for the first time!

I was a little nervous about these candlesticks. But they washed up really nicely and I decided to not paint them and just put candles in them that I had in my drawer already.

Here's the bag I made for Avery for the pumpkin patch. Still working on her skirt. I was pretty proud of myself on the handles. Not having a pattern I was trying to get a more professional look and finally figured out how to do it.

The little glass vase was .35 and is on the bottom left. I had nothing for this cabinet when we bought it in the spring and thanks to all the garage sales and thriftstores I've just about filled it up!

These prints were at a flea market in town for $2.00 total!

I realized the little lamp shade fit perfectly on top of the candle holder and then I put a battery candle in it so it wouldn't burn.

This shelf has had nothing on it for months. Just a thick layer of dust since it's above my eyesight and I always forget about it. The picture frame was $3, the candlesticks were .65 a piece and the basket was .35.

Here's all the goods before... I got all of this at Goo*dwill for $22 !!!

Name Explanation

This is the second time I am writing this so hopefully it doesn't get erased again.

So being an English major and former teacher, coming up with names is not the easiest thing. I put these ridiculous stipulations on myself and it's a wonder that any of our kids have names. For instance, the name had to have five letters, have a long e sound, British or celtic descent, have a religous meaning, could not be in the top 100 on any list, and sound cute with Avery and Reece. Isn't that completely ridiculous? I know. But I couldn't shake the requirements. The four of us have all of these stipulations in our names- except one- so I have connected all 4 of our names together using this list. I should get a Nobel prize for that. Anyway, every element of her name is purposed. I am a strong believer in the power of naming your child. Think I am crazy? Read the bible.

So on nameberry there is a list for cool, but not as popular names and ELLIE just screamed off the page when I saw it. It fit EVERY requirement. And most importantly Shane really liked it too. His suggestions have been LaFonda and Earl. You can see who was having more fun making fun of names than actually coming up with good suggestions.

After searching countless name lists and baby sites here is what I came up with:

Ellie means: bright shining one
Grace: a virtue

Avery means: nobility
Elizabeth: consecrated to God

Christopher: Christ bearer
Reece: enthusiasm or running, seems to be both

Megan: Pearl or strong or able
Elizabeth: Consecrated to God

Christopher:Christ bearer
Shane: God is Gracious


Pretty cool huh? I can tell you that so far the four of us have lived up to and completely emulate the meanings behind our names. So there it is...after all that.. Ellie Grace Carver.

Her name....

Ellie Grace Carver


I had typed out a huge explanation as to why, but then blogger decided to have an error and eras it all. Nice.

Three Bags Full