In honor of this lovey dovey month...

Oh, this wonderful man.

And it just keeps getting better.

By any other color...

For most of the years I lived at home, ALL of our walls were painted in white semi-gloss goodness. This was a pragmatic choice by my parents; nothing can really clash with white, and more things will wipe off of a semi-gloss surface than say an eggshell surface. However, being surrounded by all that stark whiteness deeply offended my aesthetic self. So, now that I have the chance to paint the walls of my own home, I am throwing caution to the wind and incorporating a myriad of hues.

Marty and I have spent quite a bit of time hemming and hawing over exactly what shade of green, yellow, orange, blue, or red to use. We thought we had chosen well, and then the other night we picked up a new set of color samples. Now I think we FINALLY have THE colors that will grace our walls.

Drumroll, please:

The kitchen will be a lovely shade of "Organic Garden" green. Doesn't that name make you excited to cook a meal?

The dining room will be the calming, yet stately shade of "Pond" blue.

"Cheerful Hue" yellow will welcome everyone to our home and invite them to move into the music room.

The living room, where we will probably spend the majority of our time, will be covered in the warm shade of "Torchlight" orange--a subtle peachy hue.

And our master bedroom and downstairs bathroom will feel airy and light dressed in "Southern Breeze" blue.

Don't you just love paint names? I'll let your imaginations do the work for right now. Hopefully within a few weeks I'll have pictures of our painted rooms.

I should end by adding that by the time I was a teenager, my parents let me paint my bedroom a color other than white. I should further add that they now live in a home with beautiful colors covering every room. I am so proud:)

1. colors and the ability to see them
2. ice cream
3. Entering the third trimester--4 person family, here we come!

can I? can I? can I?

I recently checked this book out from the library
and was giddy looking through the recipes.

I can make my own english muffins?
crumpets?
cracked wheat loaf?
cinnamon raisin bread?
artisan breads?
and more?!

Well,
in theory I can.
I have yet to try any of these recipes.
But Rose Levy Beranbaum assures me I can do it!

I think I'll add it to my wish list
with visions of sourdough dancing in my head.

Anyone have a recommendation for another
good bread book or recipe?

1. baking stones
2. a new kitchen in which to try new recipes!
3. sharing a car with Marty--I love the mornings where
I get to take him to school and see him off!

The Call.

They extended.
I accepted.

Farewell Relief Society.
The other end of the building is calling.

And so begins my journey as Primary Chorister.

1. New opportunities
2. Music

3. Excellent examples to follow

Let me be honest...

Some days I find myself feeling like this:

And yet I know,
cathartic though it may be,
a good scream won't change what is going on in my life.

I've been feeling this way A LOT lately.

It is hard to live for months
with all your belongings packed away.
It is hard to be both pregnant and raising your first baby
under the constant eyes of others
(not that these eyes are harsh--they just add a daily audience).
It is hard to own a home that is not yet fit to live in.
And I could go on...

BUT,
is my life really that hard?
This is the question
I have been trying to ask myself more often.

Hmm.
Let me look at my list of complaints again.

It is wonderful to have a FREE place to live,
allowing us the funds to purchase all of our appliances.
It is wonderful to have others to help me with my little one
while I am pregnant.
It is wonderful to own a home that will SOON be fit to live in.
And I could go on...

PERSPECTIVE.
This is one of my major goals for this new year.
Hopefully a good dose of it will help me feel like this more often:

1. perspective
2. contractors coming through
3. trips to Ikea

Looking Good

The siding is complete!
It was so cold that they had trouble
with it snapping when they had to make cuts,
but it is finally done!

The next hurdle is trying to get the heat going.
Until we have heat, not much interior work
can be accomplished.
We're still hoping for the end of February/beginning of March
as a move-in time.
Keep your fingers crossed with us!

1. Sunshine, especially when it is cold!
2. naps
3. countdowns

Book Worm

This girl LOVES to read books.

She has become very good at turning the pages,

thinking deeply about the author's meaning,

and even laughs out loud at the funny parts.

And THIS is what happens when you dare to
tell her that story time is over:

Yup.
She must be our kid:)

1. an early appreciation for literature
2. library books
3. a mom that read to me