Spring is Almost Over....Did I Miss It?

Summer is officially here for Jasmine and me!

Preschool is over!!!!

 

The other kids have two more weeks of school to wrap up until freedom.

Now I will have time to get back to blogging!

 

Woohoo!!

 

We have some changes for this blog on the horizon.

One: I want to get a blog makeover so if you know anyone who does this well please msg. me on my FB page (link to the right).

I need colors and backgrounds and font styles...the whole works.

 

Two: Billy will be converging his blogposts onto mine into one big family blog! That will give my readers some new material just in time for the dog days of summer when we all have a little more time to chill and read.

 

And that is about all I know for now...

 

This spring I missed so many blogging opportunities because frankly it is so much easier to just upload my cell phone pics to FB. If you want to keep more up to date with our family then go ahead and like our FB page Adoption Creates Families.

 

But for now I will get us all up to date in time for SUMMER!!

 

Here is our family re-cap of Spring:

Vivi started playing volleyball for the first time.

She had 8 weeks of games and practices and did better as the season progressed.

I think we will stick to cheerleading, though.

 

 

 

 

Isaac and Jayden ran in our annual Kid's Chase by The Lake.

This is a really fun children's run our city hosts at the lake

 near our neighborhood.

We do this every spring and love it.

 

 

The girls and I had a fun shopping day for spring

clothes and accessories.

 

The girls had their 7th and 3rd birthdays.

We celebrated with a retro bowling party in Pensacola, Florida with Billy's aunts during Spring Break.

 

 

Speaking of our Spring Break trip...it was awesome!!

 

 

 

 

In Keishun news...he is wrapping up his junior year well and will be a SENIOR in August.

I cannot believe it!!

He took his SAT's this spring and will take his ACT in June.

This summer he will stay busy playing on 2 basketball teams and working full time.

 

The kids have had lots of birthday parties this spring including this magical Frozen one where they spent two hours playing and singing with Elsa and Anna!!

 

 

 

 

I cannot hardly believe these two will be 2nd and 1st graders

in the fall.

 

When did that happen?!

 

 

They were 2 and 3 years old like yesterday.

Remember?

 

And then I blinked and they were 4 and 5 years old...

 

 

...but 6 and 7 years old?

 

That one snuck up on me!

 

Anyway...yes they are all growing up and doing really well.

We were invited to dinner last night with an older couple in the neighborhood and they complimented how well behaved our children are. Billy and I smiled at each other. We have put in so much work the past 8 years of parenthood and have lots more work ahead of us...but as the little ones are getting bigger every month we are finally able to see the fruits of our labor.

 

And it is good.

 

So for the next two weeks Jasmine and Mommy will be bumming around town waiting for school to end for the rest of em.

 

 

Until then...

 

Master Bedroom Reveal

 

Billy and I celebrated our 11th anniversary last weekend.

We decided a month ago that our gift to one another in lieu of going on a trip or buying gifts, would be to complete our master bedroom.

 

We moved into our house last summer and have been slowly getting things updated around here.

 

We have never decorated our bedroom from top to bottom.

Mainly because we added 5 kids to our family in 9 years...so preparing their bedrooms always took up the budget and time.

 

Our master bedroom over the years became the holding place for all my projects and misc. who-knows-what.

I would always shut the door if company came over.

 

There was actually a time when we hung a thick ugly blanket over our window with tacks because we couldn't afford curtains and needed to block out the street lights. We have never painted our room before either. So this project was lots of fun for me and very satisfying. I thought you might want to join in my excitement with a tour...shall we?

 

Our bedroom is off the foyer by the staircase.

 

We started by having the walls painted a soothing shade of gray.

Then we replaced the carpet in our bedroom, bath,

stairs, and living room. Billy replaced all the brass doorknobs with brushed nickel ones.

 

I already had the king sized bedding from Ikea, so I used that as my color palate for the rest of the room.

 

I ordered this adorable accent chair.

I love it so much. 

 

The throw pillow covers here and on the bed can be found at my favorite Christian owned craft store, Hobby Lobby.

 

 

I knew I wanted my nightstand to be functional and attractive for both the bedside and chair. So I chose a small bookshelf and baskets from Ikea. It is perfect the way it fills the space better than a little nighstand would.  

 

 

A year ago, I found these little faux plants at Ikea for 5 bucks! They are the perfect size and I don't know about you, but I cannot keep a plant alive.

 

Five kids and two dogs are enough...

 

I taped a little chevron gray accent ribbon around the pot it

comes in to coordinate.

 

 

Billy inspired this wall by finding an iron greeting card holder I had bought years ago. I was going to do a black and white square canvas gallery in this space.

But it would have been more money than I was happy spending.

 

My hubby saved the day and our budget once again!!

 

 

For $3 in picture developing... I put this together.

 

 

In the corner by the bathroom and bedroom door is

Oscar's little crate.

 

And this chalkboard art I also found at

Hobby Lobby last summer.

 

I adore chalkboard art and plan to put another piece somewhere in the room once I get curtains ordered and installed.

 

On the opposite side of the wall from the bed is Billy's new dresser which I am so glad we chose.

It is big and matches our bed and shelf perfectly.

 

Ikea once again.

 

Are we seeing a trend here?

It helps that Ikea is 20 minutes up the road from our neighborhood.

This dresser has two little drawers on the top that Billy uses to hold his things at the end of the day. Mail, keys, change, pens....all the things that used to sit on top of his long dresser cluttering the place up, now all tucked in neatly and hidden away.

On top is the first TV we have ever had in our bedroom. Ten years of no TV in the bedroom was a great choice for us...all those late nights of talking solidified our marriage.

 

But now it is time. Still 11 years and running with no cable.

We just want to watch Netflix (smart tv remotes have their own Netflix button, did you know that?) 

 

We also have our first photos taken of us as a dating couple.

 

And my little ceramic blue bird bought years ago from Target's dollar spot.

 

He makes me smile.

 

 

Next to Billy's closet is Lucy's bed.

Our dogs have always slept with us.

Billy has a small nightstand with

a chevron basket to hold his things.

 

 

Finally, above our bed is custom art prints I ordered off Etsy to match the colors in the room. These turned out perfect!!

Starting with our state and a heart for our city on the left.

Our anniversary in the middle with a tree that works really well with the pattern on the bed. And our monogram on gray chevron print on the right.

 

I purchased the frames from Kohls and here is a link to order your very own custom artwork in the colors you need for your space.

I love personalized things in my home.

 

What a great wedding or anniversary gift this would be.

 



 

 

So there it is!!

The place I retreat to when I am overwhelmed with life.

 

 

Thanks for coming on a tour with me!!

Summer starts for me in just TWO more weeks, so hopefully

I will get back to blogging.

Spring Break 2014 ~ Florida