Trim & Built-ins almost done!

Stopped by the house today and took some more pictures...everything is starting to come together so nicely. I love our contractors...if anyone needs recommendations, feel free to ask me. I HIGHLY recommend them...well most of them :)

We opted to get crown molding throughout the downstairs and the upstairs hallway

Not the best picture, but this is the bench/cubbie unit in the mudroom. It will all be painted white.

This shows a little more detail - again this will all be painted white.

Leah being silly in the master shower before it was grouted. Grout will be fully complete today.

The toilet room - She's such a goofball LOL

Trim around the front door

Built-ins are almost done

Trim around each archway

Trim around the kitchen window

Central vac complete - I can not wait to use this & honestly I think Chris will be even more excited since he loves, I mean LOVES to vacuum

House progress (Master bath tile & Built-ins)

Here are some pictures I took of the house last week. The tile work is all done, but the master still needs to be grouted. The trim work is almost all done and they are currently building all the built-ins.

Here are the beginning stages of the built ins on either side of the fireplace. The bottom will have cabinet doors and the top will have a nice arch with adjustable shelves.

This is still unfinished, but you get the idea. There will be 4 cubbies and hooks for jackets below that. The bench has 2 storage bins to hide things :)

Here is our master tub area...I love how this turned out. It still needs to be grouted.

Here is the master shower, also still needs to be grouted and we need to still install the glass door and glass wall.

Our 10th Anniversary (July 14, 2011)

I cannot believe that it has been a decade! I still remember meeting Chris for the very first time at our Life Group. I had just recently broken up with the man who lead me to Christ and decided that I was sick of dating so I made a promise to God after reading His word.

In Matthew 7:7-11 NLT:
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

When I read this and a few other verses...I told God that I am not going to date anymore until He finds me my husband and that it would just be me and Him until then. Being a fairly new Christian at the time, I remember just being sick of worldly things and just wanted to have my focus on Christ.

Chris and I became good friends and I remember trying to get him and his ex back together, not realizing that he didn't want that for him LOL. As the time went on I started to feel something that I never felt for him before and remember praying against those feelings believing that it was not of God. It seemed the more I would pray against him the more my feelings got stronger...HA God most definitely has a sense of humor!

Not long after...Chris had shared his feelings with me and I pretty much turned him down (poor guy) saying that I promised God I wouldn't date until He found me my husband and that I would have to pray about it (Call me dense, but I'm sure God was giving me the okay when my feelings got stronger each time I would pray against him LOL). Weeks went by or may be months (I can't remember now) until I finally said "OK - I believe God is giving me the okay"...that was on April fools day in 2000. We promised each other that we would take our relationship slowly, but God had a different plan. In less than a week of dating, we bought a Couples Devotional and read it every day. I remember we would go to the park and sit, read, and discuss for what seemed like hours. 3 months later, Chris proposed and in July 2001, we were married :)

It's been an amazing 10 years, we traveled, built a house, raised the most amazing dog for 6 years, started a business, had our first child 7 years into our marriage, our second 9 years into our marriage, and now building our dream home. In those years, we've had our shares of ups and downs, but God has truly blessed us and we don't take that lightly.

With everything going on in our busy lives this year...we decided to not do what we originally wanted to do, which was go to Hawaii and renew our vows. We stayed home instead and decided we would just take a raincheck. When things get a little less hectic, we will plan a trip to get away. The most important thing to me is that we are together with two amazing children :)

Random thoughts with pix of the kids

I know I haven't posted in a while...I've just been extremely busy! The house build consumes my time and since it's now on fast forward to get things done in the next 2 months, I've been that much more busy. We are hoping to move in by September (hopefully this time is the last time I have to say that LOL). It's been a year long project and all of us have been feeling it. We even had to plan a last minute birthday party for Leah since I haven't had the time to sit down and prepare for her party. Leah's 3rd birthday party will be next Saturday so I'll definitely be posting some pix then.

Leah is Miss Sassy for sure...she's always telling the contractors that she's a "princess" and that she's almost "free" (for 3 years old). Leah is definitely a handful - talks up a storm that I feel bad when I have to tune her out especially in the car..."mom what's that?", "mom look!", "mom a water fountain", "mom I see a bird", "mom where are we going", "mom I want music", "mom I want dad's music", "mom I want drum one", "mom I need a toy", "mom baby Jacob sleeping"...you get the idea. I love her death, but it's nonstop and I get mentally exhausted.

Jacob is Mr. Cool & Happy! He is always smiling, laughing, and just plain old easy going. I thank God for him that he is so low key most of the time. He is now 7 months old and crawling/rolling everywhere! He loves hearing himself so he'll just scream for the sake of hearing his voice...it's cute when we are home and not so cute when we are out in public. He's definitely got a voice on him and it's very loud. Even at Church when he starts to scream...I'll bring him in the nursing room and the other mom's in there say they can hear him loud and clear YIKES.

Anyway...here are some pictures:

4th of July with the Smith's

Leah playing Ladder ball with Taylor

The girls

Kim

My favorite picture!

 Jacob's first time in a swing and he loved it!

Leah loved the swing too

Leah's first campfire

Leah's first S'more...she loved it!

Our attempt of a family portrait LOL

One morning I took the kids out for breakfast - Leah tore a piece of bacon in 2 pieces and started to hum a melody while rubbing the 2 pieces of bacon together...when I asked her what she was doing, she says in a matter of fact tone, "Mom, I'm playing the violin". She has such an imagination and she's absolutely hilarious!

Leah is ALWAYS smothering her baby brother, but he loves her despite the reaction he has in this picture LOL

Since we don't have a pool...this is the next best thing. Leah loves playing in it, but Jacob...not so much

Leah is such a goof ball!

 After dinner one day when Chris was out of town, I decided to take the kids to the park

Our self portrait for daddy!

Poor Jacob...this is what happens when you have an older sister

Jacob's first swim...kicking and splashing, he loved it!

Leah trying out a tractor

Leah has been Miss Photographer lately so I've been collecting all of her pictures to make a scrapbook for her in the future called "Leah's prospective". She actually has some really artsy shots, but here's some she took of Jacob while he was rolling around.

Jacob's first highchair experience at a restaurant

Leah smothering Jacob again

Awww...Jacob & Daddy