Projects, projects, projects.....

So, another blog not totally related to the adoption. I must really feel like blogging lately, LOL. We have been working on projects inside the house and outside the house. First, we have been trying to get our landscaping looking better this year, and have decided to change out mulching for having river rocks in our plant beds. Since this is a more permanent way of layering the plant beds, we are going to start pulling some bushes/plants, transplanting plants, and planting new ones- only perennials. I am super excited about no longer worrying about mulching!  I am also super excited because this may help alleviate some pest issues we've had in the past, such as cats using our mulch as a bathroom (YUCK!), we have some sort of snake (I'm guessing a garden snake) living in the front plant bed as well....I'm pretty sure I found some disgusting snake skin the other day on our walkway, and these tiny little insects that we have had an issue with for a bout a month called springtails (double YUCK!).  They are attracted to moisture, and the rocks are better around the house and don't retain the moisture on top the way mulch does. So there are MANY positives to the river rocks. Along with this, we are also trying to decrease some of our landscaping by cutting back on the plant bed in the front of our house, and getting rid of the one that lines the deck in our back. Why? Because who ever designed our landscaping had to be CRAZY!  The plant beds are so huge, and I really don't think that was necessary.

Plus, we are SERIOUSLY contemplating tearing down our deck and having a patio put in. Again, many of you may be wondering why....well because we've also had ground hogs, wood bees, and other creepy crawlies that LOVE to make a home out of our deck. In fact, we just had to have someone come get rid of a ground hog....and apparently apossum (Ick). When we moved into the house, we actually had a trellis on the deck, but it was SOOOOOO infested with wood bees, we tore it down. It took care of quite a few of them, but they still. keep. coming. back. :(  Also, the screws in the deck are sticking up, and I am so afraid that someone, especially a kid, will end up walking in bare feet and scraping themselves on them. We're getting a few estimates to see if it's really feasible or not.....keeping my fingers crossed it is.

The other project we started is the baby room for our baby girl! Yesterday, Owen and I started painting the room. Now, I was painting with a 3.5 yr old, so we got very little done, and what we did get done REALLY needs some more time and paint, LOL. But, it feels good to have some of the new color up on the wall. It's going to be purple with a checkered pattern on the wall behind the crib that consists of blue and rose pink, and purple. With a blue and rose pink strip going across the other walls. I'm positive that the vision I have in my head is probably more spectacular than what the room will actually end up looking like, but it's always the thought that counts, right? :) Needless to say though, I will have to work on the room at some point without Owen, or we'll be lucky to get it done before she gets here.....whenever that may be. I had promised him he would get a chance to paint though, and I wanted to make sure he really got a chance. I didn't get any pics yet though of him doing it, so I'll have to let him paint at least one more time. I also want to use his footprints to make butterflies in the room. Not a ton, but a few. I think it will be cute that way:)

On Friday night, I was trying to tape the room up for painting, and talk to Andy about my "great" plans. Owen wanted to "help" so he said, "I'm going to go get some tools." He came back with his hammer, and was going to start hammering the walls. Andy said, "No Owen, don't hit my walls. I'll go get you something else to hammer." Andy came back with a toy nail. Owen then took the nail in his left hand, put it against the wall, and cocked his right arm back ready to swing. Of course, Andy jumped in, "No Owen, don't do that. What do you think you're doing?" Owen, very calmly and non-chalantly said, "Trying to put a hole in the wall." His facial expression was so matter-of-fact and his tone was like, "Duh, dad, what else did you think I was going to do?" I cracked up. In fact, we had sat down to watch a movie, and in the middle of the movie, I started remembering it, and cracked up to the point of tears for a good 15 mins. I think if it's true you lose weight when you laugh, I had to have lost a good 5 lbs just from that laughing fit.......a girl can hope, right, LOL:) 

We heard from our consultant that they are actively looking for a match for us now, so I'm REALLY hoping we get matched soon. I ask that you continue to pray for us and our little girl to be. We also continue to pray for all of the families stuck in process in Russia, and many other countries, even the US. That these families can be united.

You're my Best Friend:)

So this is not adoption related, but it is about my baby boy, who is no longer really a baby, but I can't stop calling him that, LOL. Last Friday, we were packing up to head to my parents for the weekend. I needed to run to the store to look at some dehumidifiers, which they didn't really have at the store I went to. But, on the way back, I was just trying to get home as fast as possible, and took a different way thinking it would be. WRONG! I forgot that in our city on Fridays, they have special activities downtown, and I ran right smack in to the traffic and congestion. So, I was trying to find alternate ways to go and just was frustrated, as I'm always anxious to get on the road anyway, so I said something I shouldn't have, "I just want to get freakin' home!" (I was kind of whiny and it was not one of my better moments). Anyway, my 3.5 year old who is finding it hilarious to copy everything I say right now piped up with the same sentence. It was my "smack hand to head moment" of D'oh. So I quickly told him that I was bad to say what I said, and that I would get a time out for it when I got home, so he should not say that.

Owen's response was not what I expected. Usually when I put his daddy in a time out (yes I have done that before to show more to Owen that it is not okay to do certain things such as throw balls in my house.) Usually, Owen says, yeah daddy, time out! Well, his response to me was, "No mommy, you can't have a time out, because you're my best friend!" Boy, does he know how to make you smile or what? Not only did I NOT have to sit in time out (LOL), but my 3 year old called me his best friend for the first time, before he ever said it to his dad, so I got to go home and brag about it to Andy, LOL:)  I did feel kind of bad for Andy, but I know soon enough Andy will be number 1 for Owen, because he's daddy, and no one can top daddy, LOL:)

Well, we made it to my parents house, after 11:00 pm, and Owen did NOT sleep at all on the way there. His sleep was very thrown off this past weekend. he took a good nap Saturday, but again, he didn't get to bed until late Saturday night. Then, he only slept an hour on the way home Sunday because it rained really hard and loud on the way back. Luckily, he slept good last night, and (knocking on wood), he is sleeping well tonight so far too. Although, he did get up about 15 mins after we layed him down tonight. I heard him say something and the covers rustling, so I knew he was making his move. Click, there went the door, and I went to him, picked him up and hugged him, and he said, "I want to snuggle with you." He said it so sad and cute, it was all I could do not to lay down with him for some snuggle time. I mean, how much longer is the snuggle time going to last? But, I had some things to do tonight, so I was good and put him back in his bed and said I would check on him when I went to bed, and if he was still awake, I would snuggle with him.

Sigh. Oh snuggle time, why can't my baby want to do that at other times rather than just when he wants out of his bed.

So the things I had to do before bed did not consist of writing on my blog, but I decided to write tonight anyway. I did order a new card replacement for a credit card, and I ordered a new work out video set- ZUMBA! I have been using the Wave aerobic system for almost 4 years. It has been used sporadically in the past with overtime/work, adoption, and stuff. But this past year to year and half I've been trying to be more focused. I had 3-4 months of solid work out in the fall, until I ended up sick for 3 months. In January, I started getting back on track, and now I've been working out 3-4 times a week, which is REALLY hard with Owen home, but I'm healthier. Well, I need to be able to change up my routines a bit better, since I only have 2 videos that go with my step. I don't want to get too bored with the ones I have, plus, I want to try and use different muscles more. So, Zumba was the next choice. I'm kind of excited about it, but I also really hope that it will help me more too. I have lost a few inches, but it's really only noticeable to me at this point. I'm hoping by having a bigger variety of workouts, it will be even more beneficial.

We're still waiting for a log in date (LID) for our dossier, and then once we get that, we can be matched any time. I'm REALLY praying that it happens soon. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers, as well as all families waiting for their kids and especially all kids waiting for their families.