Darn Good Green Beans

I get really tired of trying to come up with new side dishes to serve with meals.  I can only eat so many side salads, roasted potatoes and steamed veggies.  As I was making the Pioneer Woman's BBQ Meatballs the other night, I was craving something new and I had fresh green beans in the refrigerator so I thought I would fix her Spanish Green Beans as well.  However, I decided to make a few adjustments and I must say, I like my twist on the recipe even better!!
Darn Good Green Beans 1(ish) pound of fresh green beans, washed and snapped 4 slices of bacon, chopped 1 can petite diced tomatoes 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1-2 T. brown sugar
In a large saucepan, saute your bacon until crisp.  Add in the garlic and saute for another minute or two.  Throw in the green beans, tomatoes, cayenne pepper and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, depending on how crisp or soft you like your beans (I prefer mine on the crisper side).  
That's it!  Of course, I would prefer to add onion in my beans but someone in my household has an aversion to onions (and green beans for that matter) so I thought the chances of the beans getting eaten would be better if I omitted the onion.  
These beans would be delicious with just about anything -- bbq meatballs, grilled steak/chicken/fish, as a holiday meal side dish (PW's recipe is listed in her Thanksgiving section).
Enjoy!

Soul Food

When I quit my job to stay at home with Mason, one thing I knew I wanted to do was get more involved with our church, and more specifically to get more involved with the women in our church.  I knew once I became a mom, I would want to get to know other moms who have kids around Mason's age who share the same general values.  After all, two of my very best friends are girls I met through our church, so I figure it is a pretty great place to make friends :)  
On top of wanting to meet other women, I just really felt like I needed to dig deeper in the Word, stretch myself a little bit, and figure out how God is going to use me in my "new role".  So, as I began to think about all of this God just opened the doors to a few opportunities.  
First of all, one of my friends mentioned above, wanted to join the "Mom's" group on Friday mornings.  I must admit, I was a little hesitant about signing up because I just wasn't sure how I would fit in.  Call me judgmental, but I guess I had some preconceived ideas about this particular group.  I shared my concerns (if you will) with my other friend that I mentioned above because she has participated in this group before and she assured me I would be just fine and that I should at least try it out.  So, I signed up and we are going into week three and I have really enjoyed the group so far.  I still feel a bit out of place because I'm new, but that is part of that stretching process for me -- I don't really enjoy being in large groups and not knowing many people. 
The Mom's group is a little more of a light-hearted, feel good type of group.  We have a large group breakfast and speaker -- topics range from seasonal decorating ideas to intentional parenting to sex -- and then we split into smaller groups for discussions.  Like I said, we are only going into our third week so we haven't had too much discussion yet, but I'm sure we will get there.  I've already met a handful of people who I've seen around church in the past, so I'm at least getting to know a few more names.
The next opportunity that God presented was another group made up of different generations of women that meets one evening a week for dinner, Bible study and small group discussion.  I was invited to be a part of the group last year, but we were in the midst of our adoption and working on our house and I just knew I did not have the time to devote to the group.  And you know what, I don't think I would have valued the group at that time in my life like I'm anticipating I will now.  Again, God's timing is ALWAYS perfect!  This group is something my soul has craved for some time now.  We had our first meeting last night and I just can't wait to dig into the study.  
I know that in order for me to be a good wife and a good mother, I need to be continually fed by God's word and I need to have an outlet where I can connect with other women who have been in my shoes or who are sharing in the same struggles and joys as me.  I'm so thankful that God has provided for us in a way that allows me to be home and enjoy this time to grow and to influence our little guy's life.  My soul is happy!

Time for an Update

Since the holidays have concluded, we've been busy getting our life in order.  Once I quit work we quickly moved into the holiday season so I never really got too settled into my new role.  Plus, the beginning of the year always causes me to want to get organized, to start fresh, to change things up -- you get the idea.
January also brought about the month of our biggest event for the Aero Club.  So, I spent a lot of Mason's nap times working, but it was kind of fun to have something exciting to work on.  Plus, it gave Brandon and I a reason to get all dressed up for an evening.  It's too bad the zipper on my dress broke towards the beginning of the event...just my luck!  Thankfully, a friend of mine attended the event and graciously lent me her sweater to wear over my dress.  
Mr. Man has also been learning lots of new things that are keeping us on our toes.  He's crawling -- a little unique in style, but he's pretty good at it and he can move quickly!  

He also started to cruise on the furniture shortly after he learned to crawl and now he's even pushing his fun new zebra toy that he got for Christmas.  

Determination is not one of his weaknesses :)  He's also turned into quite the jabber box.  He can say "mama", "dada", "up", "apple", and is beginning to say "bye bye".  He also mimics a lot of our sounds, which is pretty cute.  He gets very excited if we cheer for him and starts flapping his arms up and down at a very rapid pace.  The dog is one of his favorite things in the world, but the feeling isn't so mutual.  Koby generally stays on higher ground if Mason is on the loose.  Needless to say, Koby really likes Mason's nap times too ;)

We started attending the mom's group at our church last week.  I must admit I was a little hesitant at first, but I think I'm really going to enjoy Friday mornings with other women.  It also gives Mason a chance to play with other kids, which I think he enjoys.  This coming week, I will also start another women's Bible study that I'm really excited about.  It is a multi-generational study and I'm looking forward to getting to know more people in our church.  Of course, we're still meeting with our awesome small group each week too.  
Speaking of our small group, I had the girls and their kids over for a Super Bowl party.  Our husbands all had other things to do that evening so we decided it would be fun to hang out together with our kids rather than sit at home alone.  It was so fun to see the kids all playing together -- something that made me smile given that I never thought I'd see that day.  Even though Mason couldn't quite keep up, he hung in the whole evening (which ended shortly after half-time).  
As we move towards the spring, I'm feeling the urge to finish a few projects and get the house in order.  The winter evenings make me want to snuggle up on the couch and watch TV rather than make the most of my time, so as the weather turns nicer I tend to find a little more motivation.  We started painting a little dresser that I bought for Mason's room before he was born (it has been sitting untouched in the garage all this time).  We painted it a cheery apple green (actually, I think the color we picked is "Asparagus", but that does not sound like a very pretty color to me...) and I can't wait to get it finished and up to his room!  

We are also starting to paint our trim upstairs -- a goal we've had for quite some time.  It is hard to get motivated to tackle those projects since we know how much work it is to paint all of the trim.  Unlike last year (when we painted the trim on the entire first floor), we're going taking it room by room this time.
I mentioned I want to get our house in order....One thing I've had a hard time doing since becoming a stay-at-home-mom is to maintain a good cleaning/laundry schedule.  Part of me likes the idea of tackling one room/area per day, but then I think I'd feel like I was cleaning all day everyday.  However, with this approach, I can consistently maintain the house rather than let everything pile up all week and tackling it all at once.  On the other hand, I like cleaning everything in one day so we can enjoy an entire clean house for at least one day.  So, I'm looking for tips and tricks that have worked for other people.  If you have any words of wisdom, leave me a comment!
We are certainly looking forward to the nice weather so we can get outside to play a little more.  Our neighborhood has a nice little playground and we got Mason a new swing for our yard so he can "hang out" while we are outside.    I know Brandon and I are both itching to get into the yard as well -- if only we had a little more rain this fall and winter.  I'm a little nervous our new plants from last year are not going to fair well this spring.  
Well, that's about all for now!  My brain is officially fried :)

Five Questions about 2012

I saw this on Kelly's Korner and thought it would be fun to do here on my blog: 1. What are you most thankful for? God blessing us with Mason!  I'm so thankful we were finally able to see His plan unfold, even though it was a long and painful journey, the wait was certainly worth it!!!  I'm also thankful for the wise choices of Mason's birth mom and the way our friends and family have embraced us on this journey.  

2. What were the highlights of 2012 for you? Receiving "the call" that we were chosen to be Mason's parents, seeing Mason for the first time, finally experiencing motherhood, watching Brandon become an amazing dad, my awesome send off from the Chamber and my transition to being a full-time mom, going to Dallas to watch KSU play in the Cotton Bowl, painting our trim white and updating our kitchen (sounds silly I know, but I really do LOVE it!!), walking through life with good friends, enjoying time with our families, and an amazing KSU football season (even though Mason and I watched all of the games on TV).

3. What are you hoping for in 2013? I'm hoping I can be more intentional in all areas of my life -- as a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a friend.  Sometimes I have great intentions, but my follow through isn't always the best.  I'm also hoping to become a little more organized around our house and to become a little less of a procrastinator...yep, I have that tendency.  I would also like to get more involved at our church and focus on God's will for me in this stage of my life.  I also hope my family stays healthy and God continues to bless all of us with another day of life.  

4. What were some of your favorites of 2012? (Clothes, movies, songs, TV shows, ) I loved the new black and brown trend in clothing, maxi dresses, nude colored wedges, riding boots, and matte gold jewelry.  I became a fan of Duck Dynasty (we watched a marathon while I was on maternity leave and then we were hooked), Nashville, The Pioneer Woman cooking show, and The Chew (another maternity leave discovery).  I discovered a love of pesto this summer and it has become one of my favorite kitchen staples.  I love Twitter and I'm not afraid to admit it.  I discovered the Roasted Marshmallow candle at Bath and Body Works and it has become my favorite scent, at least for the fall/winter months.  I loved a lot of the new country music released this year and a few other pop songs but I'm terrible with song titles so I can't begin to say which specific songs.  I also enjoyed our fall small group study and our honest and transparent group discussions :)  Oh and I also discovered Baby Gap (I can't resist their cute little baby boy clothes!).

5. Who was God to you in 2012? He was my strength and my peace.  We could not have gotten through 2012 without relying on His strength to carry us and His peace to fill our hearts.   Feel free to answer these questions yourself and leave me a note if you do so I can read your answers too!

Diverting My Nervous Energy

It is 8:13 p.m. on Thursday, January 3.  There is approximately 30 seconds left in the first quarter of the Fiesta Bowl game and I can't seem to watch the game.  I want the Cats to win so badly -- mainly for Collin Klein, but also for all of the KSU fans -- and my nervous energy is getting the best of me, so I'm blogging instead :) 

{I found a reliable watermarking website, so I plan to use a few photos from time-to-time -- it's hard to have a blog without photos}

We had a wonderful Christmas!  We could not have asked for anything more -- lots of quality time with both families, lots of time to relax and recharge our batteries, lots of people to love on Mason, and taking time to focus on the gift of Jesus' birth and what that means for our eternal life in heaven.  
Mason and I were able to spend a couple of extra days in Pratt before our official visit started and it was so fun to spend a few quiet days at "home" with him and my parents.  He also did great making the adjustment from our house to my parent's house and even slept better there than he does here.  Maybe it was because he was so tired?  That is what I'm going to tell myself anyway (side note: he is a REALLY good sleeper, I think we were just surprised at how well he adjusted).  
I tried a new cookie/candy recipe this year that seemed to be a hit.  Of course, I found it on Pinterest!  

Source: plainchicken.com via Tessa on Pinterest

The only changes I made were adding M&M's and I didn't buy enough white chocolate chips so I had to substitute some semi-sweet chips.  These are definitely going on my Christmas cookie/candy rotation from now on.  They were THAT good!
Speaking of Christmas recipes found on Pinterest, I also made this salad for our Christmas dinner.  If you do one thing this week it would be to make this salad.  It was so good!!!  The dressing was the best part, in my opinion.

Source: thecafesucrefarine.blogspot.com via Tessa on Pinterest

**EDIT** Things are getting a little testy in our household....I will just keep quiet and continue writing.
Our new year has started off kind of quiet, which I like.  It was nice not having to dread going back to work after the holidays and I think that has helped with the "quietness".  I have not developed any resolutions for the year...I think history would indicate I'm not so good at sticking with things as the year progresses.  Hey, at least I can admit it, right?!?!  We do have some house update projects we are trying to accomplish, so we have set some goals for those.  We also decided we would like to get a little more organized and maximize our storage space (Little Man is outgrowing some of his "gear" so we need to find places to store all of it) so we took one day over the weekend to clean out, purge, and reorganize our basement.  It felt REALLY good to get that stuff done.  I had been trying to get to it since I quit work but I just never knew where to start, but thankfully Brandon attacks things with plans!  
Mason has also be the recipient of LOTS of hand-me-down toys and then couple that with the toys he got for Christmas and he is one lucky boy!!  Thankfully, Brandon's dad was willing to build us a toy shelf earlier this fall and we filled it up at that time, but it was due for another reorganization.  Here is the final product!  

Pretty awesome, huh?!?  Everything has a home, for the most part.  Not pictured are a few of the Christmas gifts he received that reside across the room.  Now, I just need to get some cute posters on the wall to add some personality and this room will be done.  I'd also like a bean bag to sit in while Mason plays, but I doubt that will happen.  
Well, the game is now in the third quarter -- yes, it has taken me a LONG time to write this blog...I'm a little rusty -- so I'm going to sign off.  Let's just hope the Cats can pull out a W!!  It is 22-10 now (Oregon is leading)....

Dilemma

Obviously, my blog has been neglected since the arrival of Mr. Mason.  I don't have as much free time as I once did and what free time I have, I have not been wanting to blog much.  Not because of lack of blog topics -- having a little one creates A LOT of blog-worthy moments -- but because I want to protect our child.  
It is sad to say, but we live in a very "open" and a very creepy world.  While I love social media and totally understand its value, I do believe we have to set our own boundaries to protect ourselves and more importantly, our children.  There are weirdos out there who troll the internet and steal pictures and republish them as their own.  I won't even go into some of the other "gross" things that I hear happen, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Recently, I heard a story from an acquaintance who had found out that some of her pictures of her daughters had been stolen from her blog and used on someone else's blog, without her permission.  It was very shocking for her to find out about this and created some panic.  Rather than shutting down her blog completely, she started to watermark all of her photos to help deter people from stealing them.  I mean come one....that is a going to a lot of effort just to keep weirdos from being weird.  Props to her, and I'm certainly not judging anyone else who chooses to post photos, but it has definitely gotten us thinking about what we post.  
So after much discussion, we have decided that we will no longer post pictures in "public places".  That means we will not be sharing them on our Twitter or Instagram accounts and I will no longer be posting pictures on my blog.  I thought about taking my blog private so I can still share, and I still might do that someday, but since I haven't been blogging that much lately I decided it would be a lot of effort to approve readers, provide passwords, etc.  Some popular bloggers have copyright clauses on their blogs and have legal terms and conditions to allow them to fight back if any of their content was every copied, but again, I'm not a big time blogger so I do not want to go to those extremes.  
I know a lot of my readers are friends and family who we are connected to on Facebook and since we can control who sees our content on Facebook, we will still be posting occasional pictures in that space.    I also have a private space where I post photos and updates on Mason and I'd be happy to add anyone to that list if you are interested.  Just send me an email or leave a comment on my blog.  
Hopefully, you will all continue to check out my blog for the latest recipes, and other happenings in our life.  I've always felt like my blog didn't have much direction, so maybe this will help stir my creativity again.  
Thanks for your understanding!

Birthday Dinner Recreated: Creamy Orzo with Roasted Shrimp

Last night I recreated my birthday dinner (see point number 3 here) that I thoroughly enjoyed at Yia Yias this past summer.  I've been thinking about it since then and finally decided to try to make the recipe at home.
I started with this creamy orzo recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I did not use spinach but I did use frozen peas, corn and roasted tomatoes.  When I combined all of the ingredients at the end, I had to thin out the sauce a bit with chicken broth -- it had gotten a little too pasty.  I also topped the orzo with cajun roasted shrimp. 
I wish I had snapped a picture but it was like a race to the finish line to get dinner on the table and eat while we trying to stretch Mason out before putting him in the tub and getting him ready for bed (this time change has been a little tricky!).
Here is my recipe in its entirety:
Creamy Orzo with Roasted Shrimp (adapted from familyfreshmeals.com)
For the orzo:
1.5 cups orzo pasta2 Tbsp olive oil, divided2 cloves garlic, mincedsalt & pepper1 pint of half and half (or a little more)3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese1.5 cups frozen peas
1.5 cups frozen corn
1 container cherry tomatoes2 scallions, thinly slicedchicken broth to thin sauce

For the shrimp:
1 pound raw shrimp, with the shells on
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
cajun seasoning
In a large pot of boiling , salted water, cook the orzo until al dente, 8-10 mins drain.

Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a shallow pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the shrimp by peeling the each shrimp and leaving the tails on. Pat the shrimp dry and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with cajun seasoning.  I just used a bottle that I had in our cabinet.  Place the shrimp in the oven when the tomatoes have five minutes left on their cooking time and roast for five minutes -- be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Meanwhile in a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat add the garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until just softened, about 30 seconds.

Stir in half and half and 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and simmer, whisking often, until just thickened, 2-3 mins.  


Stir in the cooked orzo, peas, and corn, season with salt and pepper.  Continue stirring until peas and corn are warmed through.  Add roasted tomatoes and stir gently. 

Top with roasted shrimp and enjoy.

I served this dish with a tossed salad and we were both happy and stuffed!

Lately...

• ...my dear ol' blog has been neglected.  I have had so much going on with wrapping up my job at the Chamber, to transitioning to my new job as a full-time mom, to adjusting to my part-time job, to enjoying my time with the little guy, to weekends with family, etc. etc. that my blog has honestly been the last thing on my mind.  
• ...we celebrated Halloween with the cutest puppy you've ever seen!

• ...we have been LOVING watching the Cats this season (I mean, we LOVE every season, but this season has been especially fun!).  While Mason and I have not ventured to Manhattan yet, Brandon has gone up a few times.  And of course, Mason is a true Wildcat fan!!

• ...the Fall colors around here have been amazing!  We have loved watching the trees in our yard change colors.  What we have not loved are the leaves that we Brandon have to pick up.

{This pic was taken through our window and our neighbor had just mowed up his leaves...}

• ...I have made a couple of tasty recipes!  These Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies were AMAZING and Brandon gave this Jalapeño Popper Dip two thumbs up!  Funny story about the dip.  I had made it for our Tuesday night Bible study group and put it in the oven to bake while we met and when I came upstairs to take it out of the oven I realized that I never turned the oven on.  So, we had M&Ms for a snack that night.  Oh well...at least our friends can laugh with me!
• ...we visited Megan and Kevin and their sweet boys in Oklahoma.  We had not been down there in a LONG time and we wanted to have have Megan take Mason's six month pictures and our family pictures.  Of course, the pictures turned out amazing (the picture of Brandon and Mason melts my heart!) and we had a wonderful time hanging out with our two little families :)   Here is a pic of our three boys (who would have ever thought we would have three boys between the two of us?!?).

Well, I think that is all for now.  I need to ease back into this blogging thing :)

Six Months! Half of a Year!

Wow!  It has been a long time since I've last posted.  Needless to say, time is flying by!
Little Man is getting so big!!  Everyday he is learning something new or doing a new "trick".  This month has seen a lot of changes:

Stats:  Our six month checkup is scheduled for later in the month.  We actually showed up at the doctor's office on Tuesday and were greeted by all of the nurses and office help looking at me with blank stares.  As I announced we had a 3:30 appointment they basically told me that no, I did not have an appointment.  Apparently, the doctor is out of town and I wrote down the wrong date...oops!  We are guessing Mason is close to 18 pounds now.  I think his weight gain has slowed down a little bit.  He is in between 6 and 9 month clothing and is wearing a size 3 diaper.  He has the cutest little rolls on his thighs and the chubbiest cheeks that just beg to be squeezed!  The biggest change this month is that he got TWO teeth -- the bottom set.  The teething process was fairly painless, much better than we expected anyway.  We have to be pretty sneaky to catch a glimpse of them because every time we try to look at them he sticks his tongue out.

Eating:  Mason has been doing great on his new formula.  The spit-up has decreased (knock on wood) and he seems to be slightly less congested.  He is taking seven ounces four times a day and then he eats cereal at daycare (even though he still won't eat it for us...stinker!) and he is eating peas and sweet potatoes for dinner.  I've been having a lot of fun making his baby food and he seems to really like it as well!  We tried green beans but we think he had a little reaction to them so we are giving those a break for a while.

{this is a bit of a dramatic photo...he really does like peas...a lot!}

Sleeping:  One of the big breakthroughs this month is that Mason is now sleeping through the night!!!!!  He gets his bath around 7:30 and is asleep for the night by 8:00 or 8:15, after he takes a bottle and we read a few stories, and gets up around 6:00 or 6:15 in the morning.  He transitioned extremely easy without much "crying it out".  

Activity:  Mason is starting to sit up unassisted for VERY short periods of time.  He tends to balance himself by leaning forward and putting his hands in front of himself.  He does pretty good with the boppy around him but still falls over after about a minute.  He is doing so much better playing on his tummy.  We got him a set of soft blocks that he likes to swat at.  He especially likes it when we stack them and he knocks them down.  He still isn't totally rolling over, but he goes from side to side so we are hoping the rolling is coming soon.  He is really starting to crank his head around when he hears us talking or when we come into a room.  He also keeps a very close eye on Koby ;)  He's becoming pretty ticklish.  Brandon is sporting a beard right now and Mason thinks it is hilarious when Brandon rubs his feet against his beard.  

Characteristics:  Mason is still a happy little guy...duh!!  He is really starting to giggle and make a lot of new noises.  He is also starting to mimic our noises and thinks it is pretty funny when we repeat his noises...especially his squawking noise.  We keep trying to catch this on video but he totally freezes when he sees the video camera.  His hair is starting to fill in on top, but he's rubbing a bald spot on the back of his head.  He is also a very flexible and laid back baby.  He seems to handle being on-the-go pretty well and doesn't mind taking a nap in the stroller or in the car.  He is actually kind of the king of cat-naps...I guess he just decides to get his sleep when he can.  He is very adaptable to new places -- friends' houses, the church nursery, etc. -- and doesn't know a stranger!

Events:  This month, Mason attended his first KSU watch party and had Grandma and Papa Brungardt babysit him one day and his Nana babysit him the next day (talk about being SPOILED!).  He also participated in his first 5k with me and his Nana.  The biggest event of the month is that he found out that I turned in my notice at work and will become a stay-at-home mom next week!  We have been praying about this decision for a long time and God really just worked out the details to make this possible.  I will be working part-time from home for a local aviation club, so I will still be brining home a little income.  However, my biggest focus will be Mason!!  I can't wait to spend extra time with him and have the ability to do fun things like go to the zoo, hang out at the park, have play dates with friends, visit daddy at the airport job site, and be here to teach him all kinds of new things.  It is going to be a big transition but we are all very excited!

It's the Happiest Season of All

No, I'm not talking about Christmas (even though it really is the happiest season of all because of Christ's birth).  I'm talking about FALL!!!  Fall is by far my favorite season of the year.  I love the relief that it brings after a long hot summer.  I love the clothes.  I love the fall flavors.  I just love it all around.

 

And today, marked the beginning of fall for me as I savored my first Salted Caramel Mocha of the season (which I believe officially launched on Monday).   Yippee!!

 

 

Yep, that would be a grande size, made with non-fat milk of course :)  I waited in the drive-thru line at Starbucks with about 10-12 other people who I'm sure were just as excited about the fall flavors as I was.  And once I got a good whiff of that baby, I was immediately in a better mood.  If you have not tried one of these delicious treats (and it is a treat at nearly $5) you must try one immediately.  

 

The beginning of September also means I get to start burning my fall scented candles.  My favorites are Leaves and Winter Cabin (saved from last year), both from Bath and Body Works. 

I also know I'm ready for the fall season as I was planning our weekly menu I found myself looking for apple muffin recipes as well as new soup recipes to try.  I must say I'm getting a little sick of summer food -- after all there is only so much grilling we can do.

So if you see me skipping about my day or notice I'm in an exceptionally good mood, you can thank the change of the season!!  Happy Fall!

 

 

 

Playroom Planning

The time has come to transform our dining room (which has never had dining room furniture in it) into Mason's playroom.  The toys are taking over our living room and I know the toys will only multiply and become bigger and we will no longer be able to contain them in the living room alone.  
I have mixed feelings about this transformation because the dining room is actually part of our entryway, but I figure Mason is only going to be little once and when he's grown I can have a formal dining room.  
Thankfully, Brandon's dad has offered to build us a custom toy shelf and to also make us a custom rug from a carpet remnant.  Yes, we are very lucky that he is so handy!  Here is a picture of the shelving unit that he is building, only ours will have one more row of shelves:

Contemporary Kids design by Other Metros Architect ALVAREZ-DIAZ & VILLALON

I'm pretty excited about the big drawers along the bottom to store all of the odds and ends and then he is going to make the shelves adjustable so we can accommodate different sized toys.
I also need to start looking for affordable light fixtures.  I like the bright colored drum pendant that is pictured with the shelving unit but I'm having a hard time coming up with a color scheme that blends with the rest of our house and lends itself to a playroom.  I do like the patterns on these shades, but again I'm not sure about colors.

Same goes with art for the walls - I just don't know where to start.  Here are a few prints that I found that I really like, but none of them really go together, or at least it doesn't seem like they do.

{yes, an ode to Koby!}

{definitely for a boy playroom}

{I like the style of these prints}

I want this to be a very economical makeover so hopefully I can come up with a few good ideas to get this project started.  

A (Major) Brain Dump

I would call this a weekend wrap-up but since I haven't really blogged about "life" lately it is probably a more of a major brain dump...oops!

• We have really been enjoying the cool down that has been happening in our area.  It has been nice to be outside and have impromptu porch gatherings with our neighbors.  We also have taken walks and visited the farmers market without sweating.  I think it is pretty obvious this guy has been enjoying our outings, too!

• We re-planted our front flower bed a few weeks ago.  Our local garden center had all of their plants 50% off so we took advantage of the sale and risked planting the new plants in the extreme heat.  But, thanks to a little good luck and the above mentioned cool down, the plants are doing pretty darn good! 

• We went out do a belated birthday dinner on Saturday (thanks to the worst summer cold ever, we had to cancel our original plans) and I tried a new dish, grilled shrimp risotto, and I can't quit thinking about it.  It was SO good!  The risotto had grilled shrimp, snap peas, leaks, fresh corn and roasted tomatoes.  YUM!  We also had fun catching up with our good friends, which was an extra bonus :)
• We had to move our offices at work to the second floor of our building.  My department was the only department on the main floor, other than our receptionist and our production guy.  While we weren't really excited to move, I sort of like my new office better.  I was able to arrange it how I wanted it and it forced me to organize a little better.  Plus, we have a little better view of the parking lot because we are one floor up and can actually see the sky now...you have to look for the positive in things, people!
• Brandon was chosen as the project manager for the new airport terminal.  He is both excited and anxious -- excited because it was an honor to be chosen and he gets to be a part of a great team working on the largest project in their company's history, but anxious because it is the biggest project in the company's history and because it is a pretty high profile job.  This will be his only job for the next two and a half years so needless to say, he will be pretty focused for a while.
• I made peanut butter rice krispie treats this weekend.  I don't know why, but they sounded good and they were/are so yummy!! 
• I CAN'T WAIT for Fall.  Like absolutely can't wait.  I love the weather, I love the clothes, I love KSU football, I love baking and crock pot meals.  I just can't wait!
• Speaking of Fall and the cool weather as of late, it makes me want to clean out and organize our house.  So much so that one of my coworkers, who aspires to be a professional organizer, is coming over next weekend to help me get started!  
• As Mason is getting older (a whole four months!), he is getting more toys and more toys means less floor space in our living room.  So, I think we have come to the conclusion that it is time to turn our dining room into a play room.  I knew this day would come and I'm actually kind of excited to get started.  I've found a few shelving units that I like and I'm searching for kid friendly art that still meshes with the rest of our house because the dining room is basically part of our entryway.  So far, I have not come up with anything...but I will keep looking.
• We had sermon today that talked about spiritual discipline.  It really struck a cord with me and made me realize that I need to get focused on listening to God and spending quality time with him rather than just running to him when we need something.  Okay, point taken.

Well, that is about all for now.  Time to get ready for a new week!

4 Months Old!

I'm a little late posting Mason's 4 month update, but I've got to say, this past month has been so fun!! Mason has really started to develop a little personality and we have been seeing so many changes in him. We had to cancel his four month check up because he had been sick so I don't have his "stats" yet, but once we get the appointment rescheduled I will make sure to update.

Stats: Based on our scale at home, Mason is close to 16 pounds now. I think he has plateaued a little bit in the weight gain, but we will be interested to see what the doctor's scale says. He has filled out so much and seems to change everyday. He is still in 3-6 month clothing but will be transitioning to 6 month clothing soon. He is also still wearing size 2 diapers.

Eating: Mason eats five and half to six ounces of formula about every three to four hours during the day and then has a three to four hour stretch at night. He is still on Nutramigen and is also taking Prevacid for his acid reflux. He certainly lets us know when he's hungry but once he sees the bottle all is right in his world again. His spit up has tapered off (I hope I'm not jinxing us by say that), so burping him has been much more pleasant.

Sleeping: Mason isn't sleeping through the night quite yet, especially the past few weeks since he was sick. Hopefully we can start working on a better sleep schedule soon. However, we aren't complaining because he still generally only wakes up once during the night around 2:30 or 3:00 and then around 5:30 or 6:00 but he will usually go back to sleep after this feeding for a couple of hours, which is really nice for his mom and dad :)

Activity: This has been a big month for his development and activity. Mason has really started to play with his toys lately and will grab for his little toys if we hold them above him. The play gym is still a big hit, but now he grabs and swats at the toys that hang down. In fact, the other day he swung one so hard that it whacked him in the head! He also gets very excited when we put him in his bouncy seat and he just kicks his legs like crazy. He has also really been enjoying all kinds of music. Brandon has found some good Pandora stations that are suitable for kids and we also turn on the radio in his room while we get him dressed or change his diaper. He even likes it when we sing to him! Hopefully this means he will be a musical kid when he's older. He is enjoying tummy time a little more now and has been sitting in his Bumbo chair for a few minutes each day -- the boy has a STRONG neck! He is also on the verge of rolling over. He's been teetering on his side so as soon as he figures out how to shift his weight he will be a rolling machine. Since he found his hands last month he has learned how to use them to take his binki out of his mouth and (sort of) put it back in. It's all fun until he can't get it back in his mouth and then he starts to cry.

Characteristics: Mason is developing the cutest little personality. As you can see in the pictures, he's got a precious smile and the sweetest laugh. He's starting to make a lot more sounds and we find him talking to himself quite often. We've also noticed him really studying our mouths when we talk to him as if he's really trying to figure out what we're saying and how we're saying it. And speaking of studying, he is also starting to really study his surroundings when he's sitting on our laps or hanging out in the Bumbo or high chair. I think he likes the change of scenery :)

Events: This month was pretty low key as far as events go. He had visits from both the Bohn and Gazaway cousins and we made a trip to GC to celebrate Brooklyn's baptism. We also survived our first major sickness -- he and I both got pretty bad summer colds (I'm still battling mine...ugh!) -- and Nana had to come to the rescue so Daddy could go to work. It was nice to have her here to help out and Mason definitely benefitted from the extra love and attention :)