Ava's Monthly Photographs

When I had Jack I decided to document the first year of our kiddos lives via a photograph. Here are Ms Ava's monthly photos

Ava {1 month} ... When I am awake I am very alert. I think I am bigger than what my age says. I try to hold my head up all by myself but get tired after a while. I am a great sleeper at night. I wake up 1-2 times a night. I am a little more picky than my brother was but mom chalks that up to me being a girl 

Ava 2 Months:
I am getting so big! I now smile when I am talked to and coo. I eat roughly every 2.5 hrs and wake up once a night. I love watching my brother play. I am trying to roll over but haven't figured it out yet. My arm tends to get stuck  I am a happy baby! I weigh 13.2lbs and am 23.75 inches 

Ava 3 months:

I am such a good girl! My favorite thing to do is smile. Although I was pretty grumpy during this photo. I love life. I am changing my sleep schedule during the day and have decided to be awake in the morning. I practice sitting up in my bumbo and love watching people. I have come so close to rolling over, I just cant get my arm out. I wake up once at night around 3 am. 

Ava's Birth Story Part 1

On Monday June 16th, 2014 I was one week over due. The fear of induction was very real. I had a fantastic team of midwives who were doing everything in their power to prevent any type of medical intervention. They gave 2 weeks after my due date and if Ava wasn't born they had "no choice" but to induce me. But on that fateful morning I woke up to searing hip pain. I just knew that this was my day, and that my body was going to have a baby. I had an appointment scheduled that morning for a routine stress test and ultrasound to make sure everything looked and sounded okay with the baby. My appointment was at 11:00 am but my contractions started at 6am and were 10-15 minutes apart. They hurt. With every one I braced myself for the next. I called the Dr.'s office to inform them that I believed that I was in labor and I didn't want to come in for the appointment, but they insisted. I met with my midwife and she told me that I wasn't progressed very far physically. This was shattering because I knew that my body was trying to do something. They hooked me up to the monitor for the stress test and my contractions were confirmed. Patty (midwife) said as I was leaving the office that she would see me tonight. She also told me to go home and sleep. This was the best advice ever!

My contractions picked up and went down to roughly 5 minutes apart in the afternoon. My patience was wearing thin. I called my mom earlier in the day and told her to start her drive out to south bend, and I felt like this was in vein because me contractions weren't getting very close very fast. So, we slept and waited for them to get closer. At 8 pm I started bouncing on a yoga ball and it happened, my contractions picked up,  and they were intense. I decided to go to bed and see if they would slow down or continue on the fast pace. Around 9:00pm I called Ryan upstairs and told him that I thought I needed to go to the hospital. (Sidenote: make sure you pack your hospital bag BEFORE you go into labor). I started to scramble for clothes and things for the baby and stuff them into a bag. With every step my body screamed at me. I knew I needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Sidenote: I had to go to the hospital at 2 minutes apart because I had GBS ( you have to have an antibiotic).

So, we called the sitter for Jack and we jumped in the car. We got about 3 minutes away from the house and I realized that I forgot the camera. Ryan has never drove so fast to get to our house in his life. That camera was a necessity even if I had Ava in the car it was coming with us. So, we got on our way back to the hospital. My contractions were still very time able at 2 minutes apart. When we got to the hospital it took FOREVER to get up to the labor unit, and once there I was quizzed on why I thought I was in labor. My midwife then stepped into triage and stopped the 100 questions and told them to get me a room because I was clearly in labor. I got into the room and my midwife checked me immediately. By this point I thought for sure Ava was on her way out turns out I was only 5cm but 90% effaced. Really I thought, I am only half way there! Boy was I devastated!

The nurse started the IV of antibiotics and this meant I had to sit there for 1 hr. During this time I had progressed to 7cm. I was in pain but I had a goal, I wanted to have my baby with no medical intervention what so ever (other than the required antibiotics for Ava). My mind raced and I knew that the window had officially closed to any type of medication once I got to 8cm about 1.5 hrs later. I had progressed so fast once I got to the hospital. I was so excited that my body could do it! This experience was amazing compared to Jack's birth. The midwife came in and asked if I wanted my water broke, as I began to ask what the benefit was it broke on its own. At that point Ms. Ava was ready to join us. Sidenote: our midwife was AMAZING she virtually never left my side!

HCA Weight Loss Experiment- Day 1

I started my HCA weight loss experiment on July 30th at 257lbs.  I am taking 3 capsoles per day (as recommended) which is approximately 1800mg of HCA.  The total "Garcinia Cambogia" is 3000mg but 60% is HCA which is what I am focusing on.  It also includes Potassium and Calcium that total at 200mg per capsol (600mg per day).

On July 30th I had a pretty typical day except we had friends over for dinner so britt made a homemade pizza and they brought a peach cobbler.  I had a large helping of the peach cobbler.  I went for a 3 mile trail run at night with a lot of hills.  I woke up on July 31st and did a CrossFit workout (Fran) and an ab workout.  When I weighed in after my workout I was at 254.6 which is the lowest I have been in a few weeks and a weight loss of 2.4lbs since I started.  I don't expect that kind of weight loss every day obviously, and I did do two very hard workouts, but after the peach cobbler I would have typically lost a maximum of 1lbs or probably no weight loss at all.

So far things are looking good!

HCA Weight Loss Journal- Why I'm doing it

I have been working hard for 2.5-3 years to finally once and for get down to a healthier weight and feel better.  I started by running and juicing almost 3 years ago.  I managed to lose weight that way but never kept it off.  I would typically take months to lose the weight and then gain it back while on a business trip or during the holidays.  Britt and I have slowly evolved our eating so that our body craves healthier foods.

I started training for a 5k in March 2014.  I had a very busy work schedule so even though I was running regularly I gained weight from about 246lbs to 266lbs from March-June 1st.  After my 5k I had an opportunity to stay home for a few months so I rededicated myself to healthier living and found a workout partner, Josh, who was as motivated as I was to get in better shape.  We started doing a mix of long runs, short runs, body weight exercises (push-ups, squats, burpees, sit-ups, etc.), and CrossFit inspired weight training.  Josh and I averaged working out 5-6 times per week in June and he lost about 10lbs and I lost about 5lbs.  I don't want to discredit josh, but I had been working out before we started and he was just starting so he seemed to be able to lose weight quicker even though we were doing the same workouts and eating similar foods.  Josh and I continued this through July and I lost an additional 5 lbs or so and Josh lost an additional 3-5lbs or so.  So, July 30th 2014 I was at 257lbs.  5 lbs per month, not bad.

However, I started getting frustrated because it felt like I was hitting a plateau.  So, I decided to do some research to find if I could find a "natural" supplement that has very low or "no" risk but can help accelerate fat loss without sacrificing muscle.  I was specifically looking for something that was clinically tested and approved as a natural weight loss supplement.  I ran across an article on the Forbes website (see below) that described HCA as a natural supplement to help burn fat and suppress your appetite.  It is made from a plant grown in Southern Asia.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2012/10/01/7-new-weight-loss-supplements-that-really-work/

It is never good to rely on just one blog post since anyone can write it, but Forbes seems like a reliable source so I decided to research it further.  I read about the clinical study and found that it is legit.  I then ran across the Dr. Oz recommendation for "Garcinia Cambogia" and I thought it was probably worth a try.

Please note: I have never done anything like this.  The only supplements I have ever taken are vitamin C, B12, and a pill for joint movement.  I typically don't take any medicine and I am generally very healthy.  I probably take a handful of Tylenol a year, and that is it.  Needless to say, I was skeptical but I felt safe trying it since the risk seems almost non-existent.

So, I plan on posting as much as possible to provide a record on my results.  As I said, I have been focusing on losing weight long enough that I have a really good gauge on my body.  I spent 2 months straight of working out 5-6 days per week and an escalated diet regimen prior to starting this experiment.   I started at 257lbs (I gained a lbs while on a recent business trip) and will record my daily loss or gain so others can determine if they would like to invest in this supplement.  My diet will include daily natural juice that we make out of fruits and vegetables.  In general, I will keep a very similar diet to what I have done over the last two months so I can gauge the success or failure of the supplement as accurately as possible.  I will post my first day results in a separate blog post.

Cheers to better health!

A Healed Man's Guide in Sick Living

I have been physically ill for 5 days yet completely transformed for almost 15 years.  I don't get sick often, and when I do I am almost always healed within 24 hours.  I went through something over the past 5 days that I would typically keep to myself because I don't believe in glorifying the enemies work, but God spoke to me about how I can encourage others that are going through a difficult time.  I hope you enjoy and are encouraged.

I hate sickness.  Sickness ruined some of the best parts of my childhood.  My mom was sick for 5 years when she battled cancer.  My Grandma battled depression and mental issues so we saw a roller coaster of problems from an early age.  My family wasn't anti-doctor but we didn't see him much.  Like most, we had at-home remedies that worked for most illnesses.  I continued to see sickness when I lost my aunt to cancer and then my uncle shortly after.  Did I mention I hate sickness?  

I love healing.  I experienced healing for the first time when I was 11 years old.  I had warts all over my hands and some on my other parts of my body.  I went to the doctor for help and instead of freezing them off they gave me a medicine and a grinding pad.  My job was to grind down the warts every day and put the medicine on top.  I was so self-conscious that I would grind at them until they bled and put the medicine on them while in tears.  

One night my sister went to a new church in town called "Abundant Life."  My mom didn't like it since there were articles in the paper about it being a cult.  I had gone to the Lutheran church and established good principles and believe Jesus loved me but nothing more.  

My sister came home one night after church and heard me crying about my hands and warts.  My hands hurt so bad that I was struggling to switch to the other hand after grinding on it.  So, she sat in front of me and helped.  She took my hands and put the medicine on (like I did every night) and did one thing under her breath that I don't think I was aware of, she prayed.  

When I woke up in the morning my warts were gone.  Not just the ones on my hands I was treating so I could confidently give my friends high-fives, the ones on my arms too.  They were all gone.  As I am typing this I can still see faint scares from the warts.  They are like the symbol of the rainbow to me; they remind me of God's goodness, compassion, and healing power for his Children.

Shortly after, my mom passed away.  The last 6 months before she passed were awful.  She had no energy and she was typically a very active person.  Her body was so frail from the treatments that she couldn't be touched without bruising.  On my 12th birthday she crawled out to the couch crying so she could laid on the couch for my birthday.  I think part of the tears were her realizing it was her last birthday with me. She died 9 days later.

Did I mention I hate sickness?  The next year my dad married a wonderful woman, Mary Martz.  She started taking us to a church called Oasis in 2000.  

Going to Oasis changed everything for me.  I started to learn that God was a good God.  I finally started hearing people say that God didn’t want my mom to die.  This was news since one year earlier I heard all about “God’s Sovereign Will” and how God needed my mom more than my sister and I did.  What they were teaching made sense to my heart since I never agreed or embraced the other concept.  I didn't embrace it because my mom crawled to my bed a few nights before she passed away and laid next to me crying telling me that she was going to die.  After she left I prayed a confused prayer to God and He replied with a physical hug that I could feel and when I asked why He thinks that it is best that my mom had to die He told me that He didn't want that.  I don't think I was mature enough to hear more.  At 11 or 12 that is often times all you need to hear.

I really started to learn about healing when I was 15 and Lucas Miles became my youth pastor.  He taught us about Biblical healing and how to pray for people.  This lined up with my hearts direction and the belief system I had already established.  We started praying for people and seeing them healed.  We went on a trip to Mexico and I saw some awesome things.  One story that sticks out to me was a man I saw walking on the street.  He was walking with a cane and had a major limp.  You could tell his one leg was a lot shorter than the other.  We asked him to talk to us and through the interpreter we learned that he broke his leg 8 years before and didn't have the money to get it taken care of.  God told me that his leg had to come out and grow.  So, we talked to the man about God, he decided that God could do it and we prayed for him.  After a short prayer the man stood up and walked away without a limp and without his cane.  Glory to God.  We saw things like this over and over.

I have personally experienced healing in my life physically, emotionally, and spiritually hundreds or even thousands of times.  When someone in my family is sick, we pray for them and they are healed.  We expect it and we thank God for providing it through the cross.

I started to get sick Wednesday February 26th and thought it was because of some sleeping issues I have been having.  However, I work up Thursday morning to some serious issues.  My throat hurt, my body hurt, and I had a fever.  I started praying immediately.  I did everything I ever do.  I prayed, I ate the right things, I spoke in tongues, I listened to teachings, I asked Britt to pray for me, I spoke certain ways, I listened to worship music, I walked out my healing, etc.  Over the span of 2 days I listened to over 10 hours of teaching.  I slept for 25+ hours.  When I ate, I at the right foods.  When I spoke, I spoke to Jesus.  I did all the stuff I have ever done when I experience healing.  It wasn't happening.

When I woke up even sicker on Friday I was in shock.  Very rarely do I get worst.  90% of the time I am healed overnight (because that is what my faith expects even though instantaneous healing is biblical).  Britt had a very busy day.  She had to go to work all day and babysit at night.  I was set on getting some work done and getting well.  Half way through the day I realized that I needed to start acting healed and get out the house.  Somehow I drove to get a sub and get my suit at the drycleaner.  I came home and was completely out of energy.  I fell asleep and woke up a few hours later.  When I woke up my throat was so swollen that I could barely swallow.  I was still tired but I said to myself "If I go back to sleep and don't get up my throat is going to close and I am going to die."  I know there are people that have been through a lot that can tell me about suffering, but this was the worst I had ever been.  I went downstairs and decided I would read the bible until I got well.  At this point my throat was nearly closed, I hadn't eat much in 2 days, I was dizzy, my body was so sore I could barely move, I had a fever with cold sweats, congestion in my nose, and I could feel pressure in my ear like I was getting an ear infection. I decided that if I prayed for the congestion to go and my throat soreness to go that everything else would get better.  My nose congestion left almost immediately after I prayed for it and my throat pain left a few hours after reading the bible and praying.  I then decided I would praise God for what He had done.  I listened to two worship songs and by the end of the second song I could feel something go from my right ear down into the right side of my throat and make my throat unbelievably sore again when I swallowed or drank anything. So, I was back on the couch.  I decided I was going to the doctor but Britt was gone the rest of the night.  

So, Saturday morning I went to the immediate care in South bend.  After 2 hours of waiting with every sick person in south bend, the nurse called me back.  I thought, here's another chance to get healed and show the doctor’s office what God can do.  In the back of my mind I was thinking "I'm so ready to get some medicine and be done with this crap."  The nurse listened to about half the stuff I was having issue with and did a strep test.  The doctor came in 15 minutes later and asked me what was going on.  I told him 2-3 things and he did the doctor thing.  When he finally looked in my mouth he looked for 2 seconds had me close it and he started laughing.  He said I had a serious bacterial infection in my throat (strep throat), double ear infection, and influenza.  He gave me a laundry list of medicines to take.  I looked at the list like I do at the Word of God.  I thought "here is an easy way to buy my healing."  

I haven't taken medicine for anything in a very long time.  At least a decade.  I was under the impression that this medicine would cure me like God does when I receive His healing that was purchased for me on the cross.  So, my $100 purchase at CVS for medicine is equal to God’s purchase on the cross…  

Much like being saved, healing isn't meant to be an ongoing thing.  It is a decision and receiving.  That's why it is in the word "sozo" which is the Greek word for salvation, saved, etc.

When I took the medicine I had a smile on my face because I was expecting to be able to go out that night to Politos for pizza.  Not so fast my friend (Lee Corso), I felt exactly the same.  In fact, my ear infection got worse.  After two days of taking the medicine I have gradually gotten better.  I can walk, I don't have fever, I can stay awake, but other than that it certainly didn't cure me.  

I still hate sickness and I know there are very few that are willing to read this far.  Being a marketer, it is difficult to give the key points I wanted to get across at the bottom, but here goes:  

1. God has been teaching me that there are things in this world that hurt us.  God told me a while ago that I shouldn't drink pop.  This last week God specially told me that drinking pop is like drinking poison for my body.  I'm not going to drink pop anymore.  Well, I will drink it as much as anyone is okay consuming poison.   Relate this to Paul talking to Timothy in 1 Tim. 5:23.  Tim was having stomach issues.  Paul used wisdom and the Holy Spirit to find out that the water of the area was what and causing the issues.  So, paul told tim drink some wine every now and again and it will fix your issue.  Why?  The water was bad and the wine has stuff in it that will kill the bad stuff that was in the water.  Is paul saying we should only drink wine?  No, I’m sure some people should never drink wine.  That’s why the letter is to timothy and not you.  However, there are some things that you drink/eat/say/think/do that need to be replaced or followed by something else so you don’t have to be continually going to Jesus for healing.  I think about brother hagin about this.  Bro Hagin once said that he stopped drinking coffee or tea (I don’t remember which) because God told him to.  Brother hagin knew about healing and had one of the greatest healing ministries in North America.  However, he also understood wisdom.  Listening to God and your body is wisdom.

2. I refuse to let hate, anger, anxiety, stress, etc. into my life.  I do live this out by using wisdom to stay out of difficult situations and letting the love of Christ work in my heart.  Love never fails.  I saw a sports related documentary where a young kid was abducted by his karate coach and raped after flying him to California.  They found him and brought this young boy back.  The boy’s dad found out what really happened and when the guilty man was being transferred through the airport the young boy’s father shot the man in the head and killed him.  They interviewed the man 30 years later and asked him if he felt remorse.  The man responded and said "if they dig him up I'll shoot him in the head again."  The man was now crippled and almost completely lost his ability to speak.  There is biblical evidence that this anger and hatred that goes unforgiven causes the physical illnesses that this man was experiencing.  I try to not hate anything or anyone.  I don't even hate the New England Patriots after everything they've done to my Miami Dolphins :).  I'm still working on the Jets. :)

3. Never stop believing.  I'm glad that I went through this medicine process because I have learned that medicine isn't always a quick fix.  It is a support that people should take when needed to support their faith, add longevity to their life, and show their loved-ones they care about their future.  Mixing it with faith can be a powerful thing, but learning faith before it is too late is essential.  Paul explains in Hebrews 11 that many die without seeing what they believed for, but there is no reason to not believe.  Believing (faith) is what makes us different from the world.  It's what reminds us that we aren't God, but He loves us and wants His best for us.  He isn't holding back from us, and we can continue to expect his goodness to happen in our lives.

Ryan

Why do bad things happen?

Why do bad things happen?

There is one thing that we can all agree on.  Bad things happen.  After that it gets a little fuzzy.

 I was raise around a great group of people and an extraordinary family.  My mom got cancer when I was 6 and passed away when I was 12.  She was a single mom with an ex-husband that was dedicated to his family.  My sister and I saw struggle, but my mom did an amazing job to keep it from us as much as she could.  After my mom passed away people explained to me that everything happens for a reason and God won’t give us more than we can handle.  I hadn’t been taught the full gospel of Grace at that point, but something in my heart told me that what people were telling me wasn’t true. 

You see, the love that my parents gave me and the influence that people like my grandma had on me encouraged my belief system.  I knew Jesus came to save us and I was pretty convinced that God was a loving God.  At that age I simply refused to believe that the Love that I saw from my parents and family was greater than the Love that God had for us.  These people and this message in my life influenced who I am today and gave me the drive to announce for the rest of my life to anyone that would listen that God was a good God and God didn’t want bad things to happen to us. 

For me, the next logical step was the Word.  I began going to a church that taught out of the bible more than I had ever seen before.  I have always been analytically minded and have the type of wiring in my brain that doesn’t allow conflicting concepts in.  So, after reading about Jesus for myself I decided that he was good.  I quickly realized that the people that showed me love only had the capacity to share this love because they had seen a small glimpse of this God through their relationship with Love (God).   

Once I established my roots in the fact that God was good, and loving I started focusing on who I was to Him.  I found quickly that I was justified because of Jesus and my righteousness was established because of what Jesus did and not because of anything I can do (self-righteousness).  Now it was time to evaluate the things people had been telling me. 

I first looked at “everything happens for a reason.”  I found that most base this theology on Roman 8:28. So, I read all of Romans (and the rest of Paul’s writings).  Here it is:

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

What is Paul saying here?  First, let’s ask a few questions.  Does God cause bad things?  Jesus made it pretty simple in John 10:10 when he said that “the Enemy…Kills, Steals, and destroys” and Jesus came to give us “life more abundantly.”  We can also look at history and ask why there was a flood and what happened with Ananias and Sapphira?  The Bible makes it clear that humans made such bad choices that God had no choice but to destroy them or the whole world would be overtaken by evil.  Did God cause that?  Are we all puppets to reach God’s ultimate plan?  Is God so small that he only has one path to a master plan?  I believe God is big enough that he can do what Paul is explaining here.  God can take what the enemy intended for bad and bring good out of it (for who?) for those that have chosen Him.  Furthermore in Genesis 6:5-7 the bible says that God regretted making man because of the choices of man.  If man was making choices for themselves then did God change since then? 

I started to ask “what is the root of these inconsistencies?”  I found out that when the King James Bible was printed they translated it specifically to promote God’s sovereignty.  Now, I believe that God is sovereign by definition.  However, I don’t agree with most Christian’s interpretation of sovereignty.  Sovereignty doesn’t mean that you cause everything that happens.  It means that you are supreme over all.  God gave us free will.  Why? Because Love can only operate under freedom.   Furthermore, we know that God is Love and we know that Love is not self-seeking, yet we attribute bad things to God because we believe He needs them to happen to achieve His ultimate plan at the expense of His Children.

The second thing people told me that I want to touch on in this blog is “God won’t give us more than we can handle.”  If you want to point to anywhere in the bible where this is discussed you must understand it in context and not connect it to someone’s bad fortune.  In the Bible this concept means that God gives us the capacity and the ability through his gifting and strength to achieve the dreams he has put on our hearts.  This is the hands and feet stuff that Jesus talked about. 

God revealed something to me last year about this topic “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”  God told me “the only reason why people have the ability to accept this concept is because of the country you live in.”  He went on to paint a picture for me of a story I heard about a couple years ago.  The story I saw explained that there was an epidemic in parts of Africa where millions of babies were being born and eventually dying because their mothers were being raped by men with AIDS.  When God brought this up it wrecked me.  He showed me pictures of this and reminded me that he doesn’t want that.  I started to think about this and realized if there was any American missionary that went to Africa and told them that God won’t give them anything they can’t handle they would laugh in their face.  The fact is that this world does give us more than we can handle, but we have a great God that heals, restores, and gives life to those that call His name. 

God is not a murderer, hit man, or the elf on the shelf.  He is a loving father and the purest definition of good.  He loves you deeply and isn’t interested in being a getaway driver for the enemy.  The enemy has stolen enough from us.  It is time that we stand up to the enemy and say “we aren’t going to accept your lies anymore.”  We need to say “we are the children of God and through the blood of Jesus we have concurred death and have authority in this world.”

He passionately loves you.

Happy Happy Happy

I would like to talk about one of the biggest lies ever told. It is killing relationship after relationship. Generation after generation. 

Happiness: happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

I have a super honest statement to release on this ole blog:

 My husband doesn't make me happy.

Boom. I said it. Continue reading.

My husband's actions allow me to choose to be happy. The things that he does allow me to illicit a feeling of "positive or pleasant emotions" but I had to choose to get there. I had to want to be in that mindset. I have had days where Ryan has literally done everything he can possibly think of to make me happy. I choose not to be. I choose to be grumbly, mean, and downright rude. In those moments I made a choice. Some might call it waking up on the wrong side of the bed. It was a complete and utter choice.

 You see happiness is not derived from someone else. No one will ever make you happy. Happy is a CHOICE. One of the biggest lies floating around the world is that we can make others happy if we __________ (fill in the blank). 

Lose weight. Color your hair. Buy a better car. Live in a big house. Make a lot of money.

Its a lie. Its a big fat lie. It will kill you. 

Your inner worth needs to be defined by you. Stand in knowing that you are 100% worthy in God's eyes. Be content in that. Then live your life experiencing happiness rain or shine. Don't divulge in the way other's treat you as a means to feel good and happy. Choose to be happy.  

change your thinking. change your life.

 

Creative Space

My boy Jack is such an awesome little dude. I think every night before Ryan and I go to sleep we talk about the cool things that Jack did that day and how crazy awesome he is!

               The boy does have one little tiny flaw...

he is a grazer... GASP! ...

He loves to walk around the house snacking or "nack" as he says. Lets be honest it is easy for me. Give the kid a cracker and he is happy for days add milk to the mix and its weeks. Unfortunately, this doesn't work for the childcare setting he goes to. He needs to be able to sit at a table and eat his food. In a chair... with no belt. I know. I know. High expectations for such a little guy, but we do not have enough high chairs for all of the children. So, big man has to be a big man. 

Over break I decided to come up with a space where he can sit at a chair and table that are made for him. His own little creative space. So he can practice his skills. We haven't made a lot of headway in the sitting to "nack" arena but at least the opportunity is there for him. Although, he has ventured over to color here and there.

Here it is:

 Jack and I painted the hearts for valentines garland... although I do love them for all the time garland ;)

Built in Spice Rack

Our oven dilemma is over! Ryan built a customized spice shelf behind the oven. The back of the oven was formerly exposed to the dining room. U.G.L.Y. let me tell ya! We wanted the room to still feel open to the dining room. Ryan and I collaborated on a pass through shelf that would be built in behind the oven.

We had to add the peg board because the oven still requires proper 

ventilation of approximately 2 inches. 

Entryway Tile

We did a lot this weekend. Our house is still a tool zone. With no trip to the garage in our near future (blizzardtopia)  I have set up a folding table in our dining room to hold the tool mania.

we. did. it. 

We have committed to new carpet for both the living room and our bedroom, and of course with commitment comes a snowball of projects. So here is the list of the projects that have snowballed out of the carpet commitment:

1. Tile the entryway (really this was decided on a partial whim while at Menards for something completely random. But the tile was so inexpensive and of course discontinued.)
2. Tear up the carpet on the stairs and refinish them into something like this. (the first picture shown)
3. Remove the carpet in the living room.
4. Remove the furniture in both our bedroom and the living room. (last thing right before the installers come)
5. Do it all while almost 20 weeks pregnant ;).

We completed the entryway first. It will need the longest time to set and we had the perfect opportunity of both of us on vacation. 

 The Process:

this is what we found when we pulled up the carpet. Someone had a vision that's for sure.

To avoid the exuberance of a wet saw we opted for this love/hate object. The cutter worked well for basic wide cuts.

Cut tiles.

Ryan, after some research choose to lay a cement board down before placing the tiles.

Ryan laying the mortar.

Tiles in place waiting for grout.

During the grouting process. Clean Clean Clean.

Fully grouted and completed floor! 

Here it is with our carpet sample! Our actual carpet has more grey tones. It will be beautiful!