A Day I Didn't Think Would Come!

Today I got new carpet! Can you believe it? I'm still in awe of God's awesome blessing! When we looked into buying this house, I said first thing that the carpet has to go! Well, that didn't happen, and after having it shampooed when we moved in and the fact that our money was needed other places (like the kitchen, new appliances, paint, storage room, bedroom carpet, walk-in closet and the all important 2nd bathroom, among other things!) I decided the carpet wasn't that bad! I am just glad that it wasn't some awful color! Well, after living with it for a year, I thought for sure it would be another couple of years before we replaced it, just as long as we did it before we had a baby (I didn't want a baby crawling on that gross, 20year old carpet).
Well, here it is a year and 1/2 since living here, and God blessed us with new carpet! I did a great deal of praying about it, and after looking a few places for carpet, found exactly what I had envisioned (which I didn't know even existed). And with using my love for negotiating a good deal and shopping around, we got the carpet and install for a great price!
The first few pics are of my goofy dog...for those who find looking at home remolding pics boring (sorry, I don't have any cute kids to show off like Missy and Britni)!
Yes, I really put bows in my dog's hair...I had to, she couldn't see very well with all that crazy hair.

Okay, I had to put a bow in her hair here because she just got a haircut, and looks funny, so in order to "cute her up", she had to have a bow. Bella found the left over carpet to be quite cozy for nap time!

Isn't Bella just so cute...this is where my sisters are beginning to think "she really needs to have a baby already".

This is Bella using her method of picking out carpet...she had to lay on each sample. Actually, I think she was just trying to get my attention!

Packing our crap into the kitchen so the carpet could be put down

Bella still found a spot in the mess to lay down

Our office full of our furniture! The cramped office still didn't deter Shane from playing Techmo Football last nite!

The hidden secrets that lurked underneath the old carpet

Dining Room Before

Living Room Before

Shane and I toke out the old carpet ourselves

Dining Room After - in the pictures the new and old carpet look similiar, they both are neutral colors. In person, you can tell a huge difference, it even smells so much better!

Dining Room looking into Living Room After

Living Room looking into Dining Room After

Stairs Before

Stairs After
Shane and I debated over and over whether to carpet the stairs, he didn't want to and I did.
I guess you can see who won that one! I admit in the pictures the stairs look pretty, but in person they are gross and have never been carpeted, so are worn, and a pain in the a** to keep clean. They get dusty so fast. And with having a baby in this house someday, I didn't want them crawling on wood stairs for safety reasons. (and everyone thought Shane was the practical one in our marriage!ha ha!)

2nd Bedroom After
I can't seem to find my before pictures, they must be on my laptop - sorry! All that is left to do in this room now is paint the walls (we will wait until we decide to have a baby before we pick a color) and put in the closet shelving!

2nd Bedroom After

2nd Bedroom Closet After


*Praise Be to Our Glorious Lord! We serve such an awesome and giving GOD!

Our Surprise Visitors!!!

Well, on Thursday, the 12th, I received a phone call from Jared asking what I was doing this weekend, I said "Not much". And he asked if they could come see us, and of course I said YES! And he said good, cuz we are on our way! Jared, Missy, Luke, Matthew and Nathan arrived Friday afternoon and stayed with us til Sunday, and then on Sunday we all went to the Amana Colonies to the Holiday Inn that has a water park, where they stayed the nite before heading home on Monday. It was such a blessing to have them all here. I felt bad, because my house is a complete mess with tearing the carpet out and to top that off, my water heater went out on Thrusday nite. Thankfully, my husband was able to fix it Friday nite! (he really is getting to be 'Mr. Handyman', I definitely think I will keep him around).
I feel so loved that Jared and Missy would drive 10 hours with 3 boys and one baby on the way to come and see me! Thanks guys, it was a huge blessing, more than you know! But I have to say, I have never had my counters, chairs and table so sticky before! Thanks for breaking my house in! It needed it!

Nathan at the hotel, climbing on the bed

Matthew at the hotel, climbing on the bed

Peek-a-Boo Matthew...

I see you!

Jared and Missy enjoying breakfast!

Nathan, the explorer

Luke eating his BIG brownie from Red Lobster

Despite the fact that Auntie K has no toys didn't seem to bother any of the boys, they found plenty to get into. Nathan and Matthew found where I keep my DVD's. Nathan also had quite the fascination with my outlets, a big no-no!

Cute lil' Nathan!

Matthew playing with Bella

Nathan chasing Bella

I think this is kinda a funny picture, it looks like Nathan is Matthew's puppet

Matthew and Uncle Shane

Luke building a fort in my living room

Luke and Auntie K

Catching Nathan in the act, climbing up the stairs

Matthew decides to follow

Matthew didn't like it when we closed the doors

Small Weekend Project!

Saturday morning I was doing dishes in my kitchen and glanced over my shoulder to where my trashcan sits and the empty spot in the corner above that has been plaguing me since we finished the kitchen over a year ago and had a revelation...I yelled "honey!" to my husband in the other room excitedly (he replied "what" not so elated). A POT RACK! I yelled back! I think the pictures speak for themselves that I got my pot rack! I am just thankful it was June 30th, the last day of the month and we had money left over in the budget b/c shane's first question is always, "is it in the budget?" So he couldn't really get out of this one (but i think he secretly does enjoy making his wife happy ;) And plus, we were already planning to head to the QuadCities to look at carpet, so going to Home Depot wasn't an extra trip! God must of had this already planned out!

I was so happy to be able to free up some cabinet space and display some of my glasses I got for our wedding, but don't use very often! I love God's little blessings!

Recent Pics I wanted to share...

Wow, who ever checks my blog today will have lots of pics to look at! These next pictures are just some recent pics i wanted to share. Most of them were taken the weekend we went home for mom & dad's 30th anniversary. enjoy!

Mom & Dad holding Nathan on their 30th Wedding Anni. (I'd say they look pretty happy)

Auntie K, Uncle Shane, Matthew, Luke & Kenna, saying our goodbyes!

Heather Jo holding her furbaby, Miloh (left) and Bella. Heather, Jon & Miloh crashed at our house on their way home to Nebraska.

Catching Bella in the act! I was working hard upstairs, to come down and find a gross sponge shredded all over my dining room floor!

Zoe actually letting her Auntie K hold her...but only long enough to snap the picture!

Best friends Codi and Tonya! I was so glad i got to see them and catch-up a bit while i was home! I miss you guys!

Mom & Me

Looking at this picture makes you wonder how Missy keeps her sanity w/ 3 boys! I am here to tell you she doesn't, but not b/c of the boys, she has always been crazy (you would have to be to marry my brother)-just kidding, love you Missy!

Miss Bella at the BBQ

Bella's Surgery

Here are some pics of Bella after her FMO surgery , which was on 6-5-07, that she had to fix her deformed right hip that was caused from Legg-calve perthes disease. She is now doing much better. She spent the first 5 days in her puppy bed and wouldn't move because of the pain. Now the last few days she is acting much more like herself. She is playing and following me around again! She still isn't using her right leg, but the vet said it would take like 3 weeks before she did. Thank you to those who were praying for her and for the phone calls to check on her!

Dresser Refinish...

Here is the dresser i had my dad haul to my house from Britni's old house in NP. She had it sitting outside as decor on her front porch the last few years. I decided it would make a good project so i brought it home. The dresser used to be my mom's when she was a little girl, and i talked to my grandma Cena about it, and she said that she bought it used at like a yard sale, so we figured it had to be 50 years old. (sorry mom, that kinda gives away your age). I forgot to take before pics of what it looked like before i sanded it down. it was white with old yellow draws and ugly brass hardware. As i sanded it, i discovered it also had been a few other colors, including a very ugly bright green.

Sanded down and ready to paint.

Side View

My loving husband put a new back on for me and made a few other repairs!

Here is the finished product! I painted it brown and the draws a green color called 'fossil butte'. the picture doesn't really make the color look good. I put the dresser in our office, which i am going to repaint the fossil butte color. i also changed out the hardware to brushed nickel knobs.