My Headboard!

So I have had in my head (for about 3 years) a plan to make an up-holstered headboard. I knew what I wanted it to look like I knew what colors I wanted. So one day just after Crate and Barrel opened in Southcenter my husband and I were just browsing around (of course I instigated the browsing) and I found this beautiful bench for the end of the bed, and I started to say "This is the kind of fabric I want for my hea..." As I turned around to tell Jon this, my jaw dropped because behind me was my headboard. Everything I wanted with a $1799.00 price tag! OUCH!

So I went about to find a way to making one for a cheaper price. We went to fabricland and found some nice neutral fabric but when I went home I discovered it didn't match my bedspread and bed skirt. That is how the re-upholstery of my chair started. The material was perfect downstairs with my couch and curtains. So the headboard project was on hold until we finished the chair, but we still had the issue of not having material. Then one night as I was looking at my bed skirt I said to myself I wish I had left over material from this (My mom made my Bed skirt too). Well I just happened to look at my mom's house and we had just barely enough to finish it. THANKS to Jonathan and My mom for all your help, and Dad and Brad too. Jonathan basically built the headboard for me and put on the tacks, and did a fantastic job! I love love love how it turned out and am so excited to make my bed everyday.

What makes me happy?

Anyone who knows me well knows I like to save money. I might even be a little crazy with the coupons! (I have a little file folder in my purse for them) So when I get a really good deal on something I am absolutely giddy. Take last week at Sobey's for instance, Buy one package of Bacon for $3.99 get not 1 but 2 Free, not to mention the other outstanding offer of Spend $150 get a $25 gift card. But the best deal of recent was our Fridge for our new house, we picked one out a few months age but it didn't have an external water dispenser. Jon decided he really wanted that feature so we decided to take another look (Especially because it is Tax return season). So the cheapest fridges with outside water are the side by side, and they are alright but I don't love them, what I really love are the 2 door on top, bottom freezer with of course the water dispenser. The only problem is the $2200.00 price tag. It was $1000.00 more than the one we originally purchased so I was a little unsure. But as luck would have it there was another Fridge just like the one we picked out on sale at another store so we got a $2500.00 fridge for $1700.00. So so excited, I literally skipped out of the store! What makes me happy? DEALS

Here is a picture

As far as other news Trenton is 10 months old tomorrow, where has the time gone? He still only has 2 teeth though to my great annoyance since he refuses to eat baby food now. He only wants real food, but of course he chokes on it, all well he is learning. Other then that we are of course trying to pack because the count down is on 17 days till we take possession. YAY, So Excited!

Trent's hospital visit in February

I know it has been almost 2 months ago, I thought I would tell a little about our experience at the Children's Hospital in February. I had been sick with Strep that week and both the boys had been a little sick so we were watching them. On Thursday (4Th of February) Trent had a low fever which continued of and on until Saturday, maybe I should have gone in to a clinic earlier but sitting in the waiting room for 2 hours just for them to tell you it is a virus is sometimes a little frustrating so I didn't. But on Saturday night I went to nurse Trent on his left side and he SCREAMED. I had been checking his glands periodically during the week because my glands/neck had been really sore. So I checked and to my surprise they were swollen. (I had been out for more then half the day so what can I say!) We went down to the South Calgary Walk-in Clinic around 8:00 pm, fully expecting him to have strep but I wasn't expecting us to be sent up to the Children's. Right from the beginning they said they thought he had an infection which had spread into his Lymph nodes, and later of course it was confirmed it was Strep. We spent almost the whole night in the Admitting rooms, which had a bed and one very uncomfortable chair. That was probably the worst part of the experience, Trent was exhausted of course but they needed to check on him all the time as well. You could tell his poor little face hurt so much, not to mention having to put the IV in. I must admit I am grateful for Advil's 8 hours of fever relief! After we were able to get a room it was much better, as they are better equipped for overnight guests. They put him on Antibiotics right away, with of course Tylenol. So we were in the hospital for 5 days (Feb 6 to 11Th) waiting for the swelling to go down, and they had to make sure he wouldn't need to have surgery to have it drained.

The trials were:

- Fearing the worst (Singing "Mother tell me a story" to Trent I about lost it, whole new meaning when your baby's sick.)

- Getting enough sleep (for the whole family)

- Keeping a 8 month old from crawling and playing too much as he was attached to an IV

- Being away from Josh and Jon

The blessings were:

- The doctor's and nurses who knew exactly how to help him

- My wonderful family who watched Josh (He barely noticed I was gone) without having to be asked! I love you all.

- The friends who were so willing to help out in any way

- He didn't need to have surgery

- The Children's Hospital being so close

- Getting to hold my baby more than any other time in his life.

- Ultimately a happy and health boy

Yes it was a trial but I am so grateful for the blessing we received and the wonderful people around us. Also to all those mom's who deal with this all the time, you are truly amazing and my inspiration! Trent's is a little more of a Momma's boy now but that's ok, I'll take it.

We didn't think to bring a camera but I did take a few pictures on my phone (sorry for the poor quality) when he was starting to feel better.

Goodbye 18 Bridlewood Manor... Look how far we have come!

Since we just sold our house (Hooray!) I thought it would be fitting to show how far our house has come in the last 4 1/2 years. We bought our house really quickly, my parents knew the realtor and the family needed to move asap. It needed a lot of work but we got a good price so we bought the house without looking at any others. We ripped up the carpets (They had cats with bladder issues), used tsp on all the walls to remove the nicotine smell, painted, patched up holes, and eventually developed the basement.

For a long time I really really disliked our house although it has hardwood, and a lot of good features. I didn't like the wood colours and combinations and wanted to paint them, but of late I have become more and more thankful for it and have realized that it has been a really good house for us. Here are the things I love about it..
- Our house is a 4 level split with big windows which gives it lots of light. It also has a vaulted ceiling making it seem bigger.

- We have a huge family room, just down the stairs from the kitchen which makes it so that I can cook and watch my little boys at the same time.

- It has a really good layout, really it had all the things we needed (except another bedroom and bigger back yard).

Also there are many important things that have happened in our home, we had our two baby boys here. We have spent most of our married life in this house, it really has become our home. We are really thankful for the chance to move into our new house and for the blessing we have had in this house.

Here are the before pictures (from the previous owner)

Here are the after photos

So many things to post so little time...

I am way behind on posts so here goes.

Chocolate Baby

First just yesterday, my husband decided that it would be alright for Trent to play with the empty (so he thought) Terry's Chocolate Orange box. Well there was just one piece that Jonathan forgot about, and while Jon played on his computer Trenton proceeded to eat and spread Chocolate all over my couch. Thank goodness for micro fibre, because Jon was sure the couch would be stained but it came right out. Just what we would need to have a stained couch just before we list our house. Here are the pics...

Joshisms

Also yesterday as we were playing a game with my parents, Jonathan mentioned that my mom was "killing" us in the game. Josh proceeded to say " Mommy's don't kill". We all had a chuckle at that. My dad then said only if they were mother's in law. I love spending time with my family.

In keeping with Joshism's, he also says all the time "Boy's don't like..." Such as Boy's don't like pull ups" or "Boy's don't like haircuts", "Boy's don't like Carrots, or beans or won ton soup" (Which I know for a fact that he absolutely loves). Speaking of Won ton soup, we were really good(money wise) this year for new years, we made home made Chinese food. It was really good by the way but back to my story, because Josh does LOVE won ton soup, we thought we would order some as well for him. We were eating fairly early so I wasn't super concerned about wait times, and besides it was only some soup right? WRONG I waited for about an hour along with about 50 other people for my take out order. Wow how about a spoiled little boy. Moral of this story, don't order Chinese food on New Years.

First tooth and other thing about Trent

Trent finally got his first tooth last Sunday (the 10th of January). So glad it finally came through, his little gums have been swollen for about a month.

What color are his eyes? I know that they are mostly brown but every once and a while they will catch the light and I wonder if they will stay or change over time.

Trent absolutely loves playing with his tongue, he rolls it, sticks it out like a lizard, twists it. I can't manipulate my tongue in anyway (I can't even whistle) so it is a wonder to me.

One Chair complete the other still to go

Thanks mom and dad for all your hard work on this chair, really I can't take any credit for how well it turned out because they did it all. I just supervised. You two are the BEST.

Last but not least Christmas

So the Christmas warm up was a little bit stressful. We were going to Cardston the Monday before Christmas to spend the first part of the holiday's with Jon's parents so I had to have everything ready for the 21st. We were also planning to put up our house for sale for the first of January as well so I was really busy cleaning and de-cluttering and packing and trying to buy all the presents on top of that.(It was such a relief when we found out later that our possession date was pushed back to April 15th so I didn't need to have the house ready after all.) I was quite depressed for a couple of days because I didn't even get decorations up (except for a little Christmas tree and my nativity). We also got a call a 2 weeks before Christmas, to tell us that my brother and sister in law were going through the temple, so instead of going out on the Monday we had to go for Saturday morning. It was my mom's birthday on the Friday(18th)so we had to juggle a little bit. As stressful as it all was we had such a peaceful time at the temple and at my in laws house. My mother in law has so may beautiful decorations and it made everything feel like Christmas to be down there with them. We were able to get a few more projects done as well while we were there, which makes me happy. I started making a quite book for Josh and Trent, made a gift for Erin and Darrin, and finally got some bed side tables. My parent's were given an old beat up vanity by a friend of there's a couple of years ago and it has just been sitting there. It was really pretty and well made, but it had a lot of imperfections, most of all being that it did not have a mirror for the middle. I decided a while back that I want to take it apart and make it into 2 bed side tables. Jon and I (along with some help from Jess and Brian) were able to take apart the old vanity, fill in all the dent's and holes and paint it. They look awesome, I am so disappointed that I forgot to take a picture of the before. Here is what it looked like before but without the mirrors, and more roughed up.

Sorry for the tangent, but Christmas was really wonderful, Josh was so excited about every gift he received and even the gift's for other people as well. Trent of course was just happy to have the paper. Here are our Christmas family photo's and some pictures from Christmas day.

Now I have to share the story about Jonathan and his netbook computer. So Jon started thinking about what he wanted fairly early this Christmas season, but the only thing he really wanted was a little netbook computer. So all through the month of December he was looking online to see which one he wanted to get. He really wanted it to be able to play some of the computer games he has, so it couldn't be just a regular netbook. He finally found one that he thought would work only to find out that it was an older model that was no longer available. So I did a little research of my own and found a newer version of the model he found. So I showed him the model and he was so excited about it. But the next day I was thinking about it more and decided that will the new house and all the other expenses that we will be having with moving that maybe it wasn't the right time for the purchase, or so he thought! I had him totally convinced that we couldn't afford the netbook and that he needed to think of other gift ideas. So on Christmas day, Jon opened up his first gift, Madden 2010 a game he already had. He was so disappointed that I could make such a rookie mistake as to think he had Madden 09, not 10. Then the next present was a dollar store basket ball game along with a gift card from Sportcheck (a card he got for our anniversary which he has not used). Wow he said "this is the best Christmas ever" He continued to receive item's he already owned and other dollar store items, and saying over and over "Best Christmas ever". After almost every present was opened he finally helped Trenton open a present but was surprised when it was wrapped twice. "Ahh very clever" was his response. He hasn't put the thing down since then.

Hail Netbook

Oh wait I forgot, Josh turned 3

See I told you I had a lot to post. On November 26 Josh turned 3, it has been almost 2 months since then, so I'll be honest I don't remember a lot of details. Josh was such a lucky boy that we were able to have 3 birthday celebrations, one with my family, one with Grandpa Olsen (who's birthday is 3 days later) and family, and one with his friends. Some of the highlights include getting guys as he call them (playmobile toys), having a pirate cake, and of course blowing the candles out.