cutting tags

Does anyone else still have tags on their bath and kitchen towels? One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing the tags sticking out of a hanging or folded towel. I am always tucking those suckers in. Why did it just occur to me to cut them off? It's not like I need to refer back to the care instructions for towels. I just purchased another pack of kitchen towels at Costco...my favorites...and did a large towel load. So I got the scissors and cut off each tag as I folded. It was WONDERFUL!

Oh the little things in life that bring joy. :)

living room progress

I am soooo over slipcovers. I say that, but I know I will find another piece to slipcover in no time. 1) It's cheaper 2) There is something rewarding about not having to throw out furniture I own and purchase the same thing in a different style. 3) I can wash the slipcovers. :)

So I finished covering the chair and ottoman in our living room this weekend as well as four throw pillows! Woohoo! The ottoman should have been the easiest but turned out the worst. Oh well. I'm a perfectionist but also too lazy to take it apart and redo it.

I made two throw pillows using a linen-like material from Ikea I bought for less than $4/yd. I received the vintage flour sacks from Caleb's Nana and hand-stitched them on the front.

We ordered drapes for our kitchen/living room back wall of windows. (That was an ordeal) The windows are so pretty and we really don't need a lot of privacy, so I didn't want blinds. Because I needed the drapes at least 108" long, there are few choices that don't cost thousands of dollars. (I was also trying my very hardest to get out of making them myself) I ordered from JCPenny's but looks like we could have ordered from Pottery Barn for only a little more money. The great thing about JCP? I can return them easily if they don't work. They should arrive this week, so we will see.

I recently purchased this AWESOME end table off Zulily and cannot wait for it to arrive! It will be perfect for our living room.

Other than that, the house is slowly coming together. Caleb finished painting an armoire white this weekend for my sewing room, so we will bring that in the house tonight! We also purchased two large sets of shelves from Costco for the garage. Yay!

Oh the joys of moving. :)

66.67%

That's right, I'm now 66.67% through this pregnancy! Hello Third Trimester!! I cannot believe how fast this has flown by. My belly is growing by the day, and it's hard to imagine how much more my skin can stretch. :) Sweet Norah's movements have progressed from the fun flutters around 16 weeks, to little bumps and hiccups during the second trimester, and now to rolls and either playing the drums or running in place against my ribs. My stomach literally shakes sometimes. :) I loooovveee feeling her roll against my hand. She feels like an actual person now.

Last night we had our third of five birthing classes. I am so glad I am taking classes, as I feel much more prepared and equipped after each one. I am doing Hypnobirthing.....it's not actual hypnosis but instead a deep state of relaxation allowing your body to naturally birth rather than fighting it. My doctor highly recommended this method and the reviews are great, too. I am focusing and praying for a positive birth experience rather than dreading on the horror stories that everyone talks about.

I am overwhelmed with projects in the house...trying to get this place feeling like a home. The list of furniture we need....more like "want"...is always growing, so of course we need to prioritize. I am finishing up the white slipcover for the chair and ottoman in our living room so that they match our sofa. Once complete, I will order drapes for the back wall of windows. Norah's crib should arrive this week, so now I need to order the fabric for her bedding and quilt. (Of course I'm sewing these myself) :) We have about four pieces of furniture that need to be painted white (on Caleb's Honey-Do-List), a formal dining room table to purchase, our older breakfast table to refinish, a garage to organize, nursery to decorate,.....yikes! Unfortunately, this is a normal list for me, so I'm pretty sure the "nesting" phase hasn't kicked in yet.

It's February in Houston and almost 80 degrees today. Boo. I don't miss last year's harsh North Dakota winter, but I would like it to feel like winter a little bit. :)

Other than that, Caleb is happy with his job, Norah is happy in my belly, Belly is happy sleeping by my feet, and I am thankful and blessed.

it's been soooo long.....

So much has happened since my last post, and I just may try to add some posts on the last few months. Life is great right now. We are getting settled into our new home, all but three boxes in the house are unpacked, and the house is slowly getting decorated. I am trying to finish up some sewing projects, but unfortunately the list is growing faster than I'm completing them. I finished a friend's baby blanket, so now I am working on slipcovers for the two chairs in the living room. Then I need to figure out our drapes situation and tackle Baby Girl's bedding and quilt.

Speaking of Baby Girl, yes we are having a GIRL and I'm 99.9% positive that Norah will be her name. I have loved this name since before we found out we were expecting, and it turns out that the Hebrew meaning of her name is "light." Before we knew her name or gender, I was praying that this child would shine the "LIGHT" of God and be filled with so much JOY. We are almost certain on the middle name as well...but more to come on that.

I will be 25 weeks tomorrow!! This pregnancy is flying by and I am loving every second of it! She moves all the time and even more after I consume chocolate or Chick-Fil-A. :) Caleb and I have been playing tennis lately, which is much more comfortable for me than running...unfortunately. I have not done anything in her room, but I think I have a plan now. The only furniture we need to purchase is a crib. I will probably make her bedding, recover the glider cushions and paint the frame, and then I need to make her quilt. I'm assuming we need to register soon, but we will probably do that as the showers approach. I am still considering cloth diapers, so that will be a major research item. Does anyone have any recommendations, thoughts, or experience??

My parents visited this past weekend. We relaxed Saturday night and grilled out. Sunday morning we were privileged to have Natalie Grant lead worship at our church. It was absolutely unbelievable. I was in tears and so moved by the Holy Spirit during her singing. She did the most beautiful and meaningful rendition of "It is Well." Sunday afternoon we enjoyed the gorgeous weather and played two hours of tennis at our neighborhood courts. My parents kicked our tails three sets straight, but we had a blast regardless. I miss our friends and small town life in Dickinson, but I am soooo thankful to be this close to family again. Goodbyes are no longer tearful and weekend visits are an option. My parents are going to Hawaii next weekend, so I will be in San Antonio house-/dog-sitting for them all week. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with some friends while in San Antonio.

Thanking God for all of the many blessings....

Lindsey

a good night

It is a good night.

Half the boxes are empty. Most of the closets are full. And I haven't the slightest idea about how to arrange the furniture...totally not my character.

But it's still a good night.

It may seem like an obvious statement, but our 'life' and routinechanges dramatically with each move. Relocating gives us the opportunity to make different choices (or 'changes') in our life without upsetting our routine. We don't know 'normal' anymore; we just lived in a hotel for 90 days.

We've been in this house for one week. One week without internet and cable.

And it's so good.

That's one of the 'changes' from our Grand Junction routine. But it's given us more freedom, time, and opportunities for discovering a 'new' routine.

So tonight? Well, I'm sitting on our deck, (which we didn't have in GJ), drinking wine (usual routine), listening to the John Mayer live album on our new outdoor speakers (totally a new luxury for us), and watching Caleb assemble his new gas grill (woohoo!). The weather is cool with a slight breeze, and I'm actually wearing sweats and a fleece. The (crank) windows are open to cool the house to the high 60s for a cozy sleep tonight. Bella is on her bed inside the house by the screen door (we had to put her in because she began hacking after consuming too many bugs...a new discovery for her).

I like this new evening activity for us. Summer is short, so this routine will change in a couple months when it's too cold to be outside. Instead, we'll be inside by our gas fireplace (couldn't do wood burning because there's no wood to burn in NoDak) still enjoying our music, wine, and peaceful evenings.

Life is good...even in North Dakota. :)

august

It's been pretty much the usual here. Caleb works, I monitor the house and make more decisions, we work out, and I sew. :) I finally finished Kacey's baby quilt!!! It is my first ever completed quilt, and I am so pleased with the result! I love the entire quilting process!

Caleb's 26th birthday was last Friday. We spent the evening with some other Marathon families, slept in Saturday morning, then shopped for a new mattress set and deep freezer. No purchases yet, but close to making a decision. Sunday, Caleb golfed and I went to a friend's to sew her curtains. We also took a large load of stuff from our hotel to a storage truck that is parked across from the new house because...

We have THREE....yes, THREE!!!....more nights in a hotel!! WOOHOO! But it will be another ten nights until we are in the house. Thursday morning we are flying to Texas to visit with both of our families and honor my late-grandfather's life with an intimate memorial service at Lake LBJ. We come back to NoDak Tuesday and close on our house that afternoon!

Today I am going for a round 2 job interview. I'm ready to get a job, but a little nervous, too. We will see! I'm relying on the Lord for getting a job and knowing whether or not it's the right one for me. One really awesome thing: the office is less than two miles from our house, which will be great for those really snowy days. :)

That's all for now. Love y'all!

progress

It's coming along!! We should be closing in 3-4 weeks!!!