Valley Vacation Part II

I know it has been a while since my last post. We have been oh so busy, but who isn't these days?! We went and floated the river and had an awesome time, had a garage sale, my parents came to visit, Mr. T's parents came to visit, playing softball, and just all the other every day things.





Anyhow, I wanted to finish my post on the valley... my step dad likes to read it and see pictures of himself. ;) BTW, keep them in yours prayers this next week as he has another CT Scan on the 4th and then he meets the new doctor and gets the results on the 5th. Just lift him and my mom up a little if you don't mind. :)

On Sunday we headed out to the farm and got the grand tour from Grandpa J. He was SO excited that my parents wanted to come and see it all. He talked about how the farm was started, passed down and what all they have done with it since they have taken over. It was very interesting to hear him talk about it all. He was full of information and I have not heard a lot of the stuff that he talked about, so it was a learning experience for me as well.

**Note: Late fall/winter is the best time to go to the Valley according to Mr. T, so we were a little worried that we would get to pick much or how well everything would taste, but we got lucky!

We went to all the different pieces of land that they own and got to see lemon trees, various orange trees, grapefruit trees, sunflower patches (which are planted just for the boys to go dove hunting...they are spoiled), onion fields and I think that is all. A particular piece of land it down on the Rio Grande River right under the bridge you take from Texas to Mexico. Due to illegals swimming across, the border patrol is real heavy down in the area. The border partol followed us and then questioned us on what we were doing. Grandpa J "explained" to him and then he left us alone. Bobby got to experience the BP coming after him.... it was a highlight for him. :)

After a long hot day of picking fruit, we were all pretty worn out and decided we had enough. On the way back, we passed a beautiful tree just FULL of oranges.... probably the best one of the day. Bobby could not resist and he jumped off the gator and went to picking again. We just sat and watched him and finally told him that if he didn't come on we were going to leave him. He did not want to leave.

All in all we had a wonderful trip and we are so glad we took time and went. We got to see family and just hang out. We enjoyed it so much and it is for sure a different world down there. :)

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Valley Vacation Part I

This post is going to be pretty long just because we had such a good time, so I am going to break it up into Part I and Part II. :)

Orange Tree on a Beautiful Day

As many of you know, my step dad was diagnosed with Stage 4, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer the Monday after Christmas. It was a total shock to us. He has been through chemo since and is doing well. We did have a scare with a blood clot back in April, but he seems to be doing good. Lung Cancer does not have a cure and the life span of course, is different for everyone.

Mr. T's family is from the Valley and one set of grandparents farm and have an orchard. Many of you probably eat fruit and veggies from them. :) My parents got to meet Mr. T's family when we were having wedding showers and then of course at the wedding. With his family being SO wonderful, my parents just adored them. After visiting with them the little they got to, Bob-O decided he wanted to go down to the Valley. He has never been down there, just heard our stories and tasted all the yummy fruit that we would bring back from our trips down there.

My mom and Bob-O in the Orchard.

We decided no time was better than Memorial Day weekend. We loaded up and headed south on Friday after work and picked my parents up about 2.5 hrs south of us and then continued on the journey. The Valley is about 6 hrs from my parents house. About 3 hrs into the trip Bob-O asked if we were almost there, and little did he know we were only half way!

We finally got to Meem's house Friday night at about 11:30. We were all exhausted, but we stayed up a while and visited. It worked out well b/c my MIL and Mr. T's aunt had been visiting Meem and helping her all week, so we got to see them too! We spent the day with Meem and everyone on Saturday and just had good food, fellowship and a little bit of shopping at the Bazaar.....boy was that interesting! We went to dinner with Mr. T's other uncle and his family and then we got home and gambled a little. ;) Cousin Matt taught us a dice game called Liar's Dice and it was so much fun. Meem was winning all the pots and I finally won one. It was great just to have some good family time. I am so blessed that I married into the family I did. I had to ask my mom if she ever thought she would be hanging out with my in-laws. That just shows how fabulous they are!




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Astros & Rangers Game

While my parents were up in the area, they wanted to go visit a close friend of the family. While they were visiting we went to the Astros and Rangers game. Of course the Astros lost, but we always have next year! It was SO HOT, being that it was at 2 in the afternoon in Texas. Despite the heat, we still had a good time. After the game we got to see Reckless Kelly. The concert was included with the game. Mr. T LOVES them and was really excited they were playing around here.

Lauren and Mr. T

Mr. T and I

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MIA

So sorry that I have been MIA! We have been busy and have had lots going on in our world.

My parents came into town on Friday and stayed with us until Monday morning. We enjoyed their visit and can't wait for them to come back. We grilled and hung out Friday night and my mom helped me go through garage sale stuff. On Saturday we had a garage sale and it was also our community sale as well. We did really well and made some $$! Saturday was also my mom's birthday, so we took them to dinner. We ate at a place we have never tried before and it was WONDERFUL! Mr. T and I are going back soon.

I have been doing some DIY things around the house though! I purchased this corner shelf on CL and I am in the process of redoing it. I can't decide if I want to paint it black or a blue color. Any ideas?! I am scared that everything in my house is going to either be black or distressed white. :)

While my mom was in town we went to a indoor shopping area that has different booths set up and browsed around. I found some shutters that I fell in love with, but I couldn't bring myself to pay $12 A PIECE for them. So Monday on my lunch break I ran over to the Habitat ReStore and found some for $5!!! I was way excited. I can't wait to get these painted and hung where I want them. They are going in the guest bedroom that I am over hauling. It is almost ready to show you!

I also found a baby bed for $20 and I am not sure yet what I am going to do with it. I have seen several projects floating around and I am going to have a hard time deciding which one to do.

My awesome and way crafty friend over here at The Autocrat hit 100 followers! I am so proud of her and I am always amazed at how she finds time to do some many things. I think its because King is out of town. I am trying to plan a weekend so we can go craft together. Way to go Friend, I am proud of you!

Until we meet again, happy crafting!

"The best changes often start as single, simple thoughts. Think big, and discover how to make your dreams real."

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Introducing my BaBiEs!

Mr. T and I don't have any human babies yet, however, we do have our dogs. These pups mean the world to us. They are spoiled rotten and get their way for the most part.

Introducing Old Man Dalton.... Mr. T got Dalton from a shelter. He has had him since high school. Dalton is one of the best dogs I have ever seen. He is laid back and just lets the other 2 jump on him and do whatever. Dalton is estimated to be about 13 years old. He is spoiled rotten and loves to eat, however when he goes to his "grandparents" he puts on a show to not eat b/c he knows they will feed him other stuff. Big D LOVES to swim and he does every chance he gets.



Prissy Izabelle... I got Izabelle my junior year in college. Mr. T was not happy about the idea of me getting a puppy since I worked so much and he knew he would have to help more than he wanted. When I first brought her home Mr. T hated her and complained about her all the time. This little dog has him wrapped around her paw now. I will walk in and catch him "baby talking" to her. SO sweet. Izabelle is also very spoiled and she is one of a kind. She never eats at her bowl, always gets a mouth full of food and comes to where I am in the house to eat it. She follows me EVERYWHERE I go. She always greets me at the door jumping and whining like I have been gone for forever. Makes you feel special. She got her name b/c my grandma was very ill with cancer when I got her and I wanted a name that linked to her name. Her middle name was Bell, so that is how she got her name. She is my little girl and I don't know what I would do without her. Yes, she has her own drawer full of clothes, bows and collars. :)



And now introducing our newest member.... within the past week! Meet Belle Star! We dognapped her this past weekend from my MIL. She is a puppy from a litter that my MIL's Fiona had. Belle has a heart problem and so she kept her to care for her. She had a study done at A&M and she has been going strong for 2.5 years now! She has always been mine and Mr. T's favorite out of all the dogs. We always talked about how we could get her and we finally did it! We are doing a trial run with her until July to make sure we can handle her and that my MIL can handle not having her. She is full of energy and LOVES to eat. She loves to run when you are trying to catch her or when she knows she is doing something wrong, and then when you walk up to her, she darts away really fast. She is a mess and has made our house a little more fun this week. I am glad we got her! :)





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Wooden Crosses

While out and about in craft malls and such I have been seeing these crosses everywhere. They are gorgeous, but I am not paying what they are priced for. So I have been talking to Mr. T about what we would need to cut these bad boys out with. Well about a month ago, we went to our local Trade Days and found the wooden crosses already cut out! They ranged from $4 up to $10. I bought 3 of them and was so excited to get home. Well they sat on my bar in my kitchen and I couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to do them. I kept looking around to see other ideas and I just never say anything that took my breath away.

My parents are coming into town this weekend and then my in-laws are coming in 2 weeks, so I made myself get these done so they won't be laying around.

So here is what I did...

I first got 3 different colors of craft paint that I already had. On the bottom cross I just used a dark brown. I just squirted the paint directly onto the wood an spread it with a foam brush. Make sure you get the sides covered. On the second one I used a gold/tan color for that one, but I did not rinse out my brush from the brown one. So the brush made brown streaks in the gold color. For the top cross I got scraps of paper and Modge Podged them on.






After all the pieces were done drying I put Gorilla Glue for wood on them and placed them how I wanted. I let that dry overnight and then I got a couple of screws and put them in threw the back just for extra support.



I still haven't found the right place for this to hang, but I love it! I am going to get some more unfinished ones and make more for gifts, super easy and budget friendly. :)

Until we meet again, happy crafting!

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. ~Charles Gordy





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Thrift Store Tray

So last week I mentioned that I bought this beauty at the local thrift store. When I saw it for $1.99, I knew I HAD to have it.

Well I took it home and got out my spray paint and went to work. I put an ivory color on it and it only took 2 coats to cover it well. I then cut out a stencil with my Cricut and painted it on with brown craft paint. I saw the "Nest" on a pillow from PB and I thought it would look fab on this tray in the guest bedroom. After I let that dry over night I got the RL Glaze and added that. I LOVE how it turned out. This weekend while shopping with my MIL I found the saucer and cup, bell and tea towel.






Total cost for this little beauty was $1.99. I had all the paint and glaze already in the garage. :) Love when I can make things budget friendly, so does Mr. T.

Until we meet again, happy crafting!

A happy heart makes a cheerful face. - Proverbs 15:13

Shelf Makeover

Happy Monday to all! We had a great weekend this weekend. We went to Mr. T's parents by Houston. On Saturday my MIL and I went to a couple antique stores by their house and found some treasures. You will see them in a post later this week. We also went to the Steak & Wine Festival in downtown Bryan. It was a lot of fun and we got to see some interesting people as well. It was very hot though. We had a great visit and enjoyed our time with family. We also bought back a VERY SPECIAL... well I can't tell you yet. ;)

Well I did not have much time for crafting, but I did manage to get the tray and towel rack finished! I am still working on what to put on the shelf part of the towel rack, but I think it looks fabulous hanging with the towels, waiting on special guest to come this weekend.

Before








After


I sprayed painted it with an ivory color that I had in the garage and then I used the RL Glaze and brushed it over it lightly. I has purchased the iron piece about a month ago and I finally found a good home for it. So the shelf was $4.99, spray paint and glaze I already had, and the iron deal was around $10. So the total cost for this project was $15!



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Thrift Store Finds.

Yesterday Mr. T told me that he was going to take a "quick nap" when he got home, so I wasn't in a huge hurry to get home. I thought I would be the nice wife and let him sleep a little. Well what is a girl to do?! I went to the resale shop that I have been wanting to go to and never have. I am so glad I went... I found me some treasures.


I am going to use this beauty in my guest bathroom.





This little guy is going to be super when I get done with him. Or I should say if the mental picture works out good. ;)



I am sure you have seen these all over blog land and I can't wait to transform these into something fabulous!


Well I have to get busy this evening. Mr. T is having to work late, so I am hoping to get a lot done since I don't have to cook dinner and all that jazz. Until we meet again, happy crafting!

"Happiness isn't found in things you possess, but in what you have the courage to release" Anonymous


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HM in Canada!!

As many of you know, we went on our HM to Lake Louise in Banff National Park. It was SO much fun, but it was cold and VERY expensive. Mr. T and I had a blast though. We got to do a lot of stuff and had something going on every day. T did get a little sick while we were there, so he wasn't his normal self, but he still managed to suck it up and have fun.



The weather there was almost like it is here at home. One minute it was snowing and windy and you couldn't see the mountains and within 20 mins it was bright and sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Everyday we were there it snowed at some point. It was nice to get to see it all, but I was ready to get back to the 80 degree weather back home. :)



We were able to go on a snowmobile tour, zipline through the mountains (Mr. T is scared of heights and I almost thought he was going to make me go alone, but he went and LOVED it), dog sledding to the Great Divide (where British Columbia and Alberta meet and where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet), snowshoeing, get a couples massage, shop in Banff, and a horse drawn carriage ride.




We had a blast and would love to go back someday, but we have to save up to pay for the $10 a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch... no really, it was really that much!






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Starting Back!

Wowzers! It has been so long since I have gave this little baby any attention.... I like to blame it on how busy we have been. ;) A lot has gone on in the past couple of months since I last posted.

1. Got MARRIED!!!!
2. Went on HM to Canada! Which was SO pretty...I will try to upload some pictures.
3. Hosted a baby shower for my sweet cousin.
4. Went on a mini-vaca to the valley with my parents...pictures to come.
5. Cut all my hair off.
6. Went to a Chelsea Handler show.
7. Crafting / Redoing house a little.

Doesn't seem like a lot when I list it out and try to think of all that has happened. We have enjoyed our first couple months of marriage and I hope to enjoy many many more with my man.

Anyhow! On to some decorating / redecorating. A while back I bought a bed frame and chest of drawers off of CL and I had this picture in my head of how I wanted the guest room to look. Well I painted said pieces a dark red color and turquoise. I liked the way they turned out, but it was not in the budget to get new bedding. Well I inherited a pretty yellow wedding ring quilt when my grandmother passed away, so I just used that for the time. Well the hubs always talked about how terrible the colors were all mixed and he did not like it. To be honest, I wasn't liking it much either. Here are some before pictures of the room. I am currently working on painting everything, even picked up a new piece to add in the mix!





I am hoping to have much of this room complete by the time my parents come for the weekend in a couple of weeks...I have to get busy.


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Parents Blog

I forgot to mention in the previous blog....

Bobby went for his CT scan last week and the spot on his lung has shrunk!!! Praise God! Thank you for all the prayers and just keep them coming. He also had his 3rd round of chemo and did excellent with it... never got sick! We are so thankful at how well he is responding to all of this. My mom has been updating the blog that we created and below is the link. Please keep praying that God will work a miracle.

http://bobbyandcathy.blogspot.com

Have a blessed day!


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3 Weeks!

Well the big day is only 3 weeks away now. The stress level has slowly begin to increase. All the little things that have to be done before the wedding are popping up, but I am knocking them out. I finally finished the slide show that we are doing for the rehearsal dinner. That took forever to do, haven't used power point in a while. I think it turned out good and I am excited for everyone to see it.

My next project to tackle is the programs... I have them figured out I think, but I went ahead and sent a copy to my mom to look over and make sure it looked ok. I am going to have to assemble all of them and everything, so I want to get that done soon. I will post a picture of them when I finish them.

My mom and I put together the out of town bags for the wedding and I think they turned out super cute. I don't want to spoil the surprise of them for any guest that reads this, so I will post what they look like after the wedding. While on the subject of out of town... our hotel block has been one of the biggest problems for the wedding. First I got told that my contract was not real and then they told me that the block was for "nights" not actual "rooms". It has been a real headache trying to get it all figured out. I thought I had it all figured out, then I call back to get the # of rooms for the bags and it was all messed up again. The lady goes over all the people coming in and about 1/2 of them were not even under our block. With Salado being very small, you don't have many choices for a hotel to block rooms off at. I think it will all work out though!

These next few weeks are going to be crazy busy... I am very excited though. Going to be spending time with a bunch of people that I love and care about!


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Back to Work, Weekend is too Short.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend... we did! We went to Temple on Saturday and stayed with my parents. The weather was nice on Saturday, just a little chilly, but we managed to get some things done for the wedding. I found some heart deals (I know, not a good explanation) that I fell in love with while we were in downtown McKinney shopping a while back. I had tried to explaining them to Mr. T and Bobby and I never could do it well enough. We have gone back down there and they weren't there, but I went in and asked the shop owner and she told me who made them for her. I went to ask the guy and he wanted to charge me $150!! Insane! I told Mr. T that I bet him and Bobby could make them, so we have been talking about doing them for a while. The shop finally put them out again for V-Day, so I went and took some pictures of them to show Bobby and then I took pictures of how they were attached and such.

Well Bobby was feeling really good this weekend and since the wedding is only a little over a month away, we decided to try and do them. Bobby said he wanted me there to make sure he did them right... he told Mr. T to never do anything without the woman being there b/c then you will just have to do it all over again. Haha! We used rebar and with the help of Mr. T and Bobby's muscles we bent it and shaped it into hearts. They look AMAZING and I am so happy they turned out so well. It cost nowhere near $150 to do them and it allowed us to all spend some time together.

My mom and I left after they got the hang of it and we needed to go buy paint and pots to put them in. My mom also wanted to run and look for some jewelry for the wedding to go with her dress. We went to Beall's and boy did we hit the jackpot on a sale! We found shirts from $4 to $8!!! My mom bought me this really cute black sweater with zebra trim on the sleeves. We got back and the boys said from now on they are going to buy supplies and we stay home. :)

Saturday night I went out to Bo's Barn in Salado with some of the girls that I worked with at Johnny's. I had never been there and we had SO much fun! We danced and had a blast. Trav didn't really want to go, so he went over to his friend's house and got to have some "guy time".

Sunday we had our last preacher meeting and it went really well. Bro Andy said he thought we were ready!

Overall we had a great weekend, just went by way too fast. Bobby goes in this week for a CT scan and they meet with the doctor again on Wednesday to discuss the results. Please pray that the chemo is helping to shrink the spot and that all is well. He has his 3rd round of chemo on Thursday as well. My mom wants to start a blog to keep people updated on him, so we are going to try to do that next weekend.


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Trying New Things

Well with a lot of my friends doing it and me liking to follow several, I thought I would jump in and start a blog for our little family. :) As you all know, the wedding is quickly approaching and I am getting a little stressed. Mr. T keeps telling me just to enjoy it and let things happen and if it isn't just the way I want, it will still be ok. I am trying to take his advice, but we all know I am a control freak, but just a little.

Just to catch everyone up on some things that have happened recently....
1. We bought a house in October and we love it. Still not done with getting everything just the way we want it, but with time that will come.
2. We had 12 inches of snow fall last week and Mr. T and I were little kids and built a snowman. The babies weren't too crazy about the snow, but they managed to go outside every now and then. Everytime Izabelle went out we had to bring her in and blowdry her b/c the snow got stuck in her fur on her legs and tummy. She would just sit and shiver.
3. My step dad got diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer the week after Christmas and he has started chemo. He has done really well with the chemo with having little amounts of side effects. Everyday is a new day and it brings something new to him and my mom. My mom is trying to read up on a lot of stuff to try and do her best to take care of him. Keep them in your prayers!
4. I took classes this past fall to get my Alt. Teacher Certification and I am just scoping out the idea of becoming a teacher. I would really like to teach 2nd grade, but I am still thinking about it all.
5. I guess that is all I can really think of right now.


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