I was just reading over my post from last year, Review of 2013, and realized how much has changed! The kids are much bigger, Eli has a new job, we've done some projects around the house, and I kinda went back to work. Sometimes a year feels so long but when I look back, time just flew by!
One thing that definitely hit me this year and made me think was that God's plan was (and still is) way better than mine. Owning a duplex was never in my plan, Eli switching jobs wasn't in my plans, but it has blessed us so much! Thanks be to an almighty Creator!
Now, I want to show you some pictures of the house projects.
I saw this mantle for sale on a Facebook page and knew it would look awesome in our living room! It really helps to define that space, before it was just a big wall. I especially love decorating it for the different seasons.
Our second project was adding some more can lights in the living room. There were originally 2, so we added 4 more. There are only 3 pictured but I think you get the idea! We love how much lighter it is in the living room and were able to get rid of a lamp, freeing up some space.
The 3rd (and biggest) project was the bathroom. Here you see the before pictures (along with my paint sample swatches!). It was all white and no storage, besides under the sink and the one shelf. Pretty bland.
We also decided to replace the mirror and light. They looked pretty 80's to us....
But we ran into an issue after taking them down, a nice hole in the wall. We think that there use to be a medicine cabinet set into the wall and when it was replaced they just covered up the hole with the new mirror. So this definitely threw our remodel plans into a disarray. We were not planning on having to sheetrock, mud and tape, and texture the wall.
For some unfortunate reason I do not have a picture of the new mirror on my computer, but rest assured, it looks wonderful! It is a dark brown medicine cabinet with a mirror on the front.
Here are the after pictures! We painted the walls a light grey and added dark brown cabinets. It is so nice having some much storage now!
Now onto the family.
This is our Christmas Eve picture. The kiddos were excited about their new jammies!
Baby L
She's not much of a baby now! Almost 18 months old, she is walking like crazy, trying to keep up with her brother! She is such a girly girl, too. Loves clothing, shoes, and her new necklace and bracelets. You should of seen her face when she got a baby doll for christmas! Her face lit up, it was perfect. I really wish we had gotten a picture. She loves to eat whatever everyone else is eating, somedays I think she eats more than her brother. The red hair is slowly but surely growing it. I can't wait to do pigtails! She is following in the footsteps of her daddy and brother in the love for LEGOs. We are teaching her words, at the moments she says dada, mama, Aiden, nana, papa, Abby, and Emma. We're still working on the other aunt and uncles. We love her silliness and sweetness! She loves to snuggle. And she loves her pacifier.....
Easy A
Why do they have to grown up! He has become such a big boy! His current love is super heroes. Seriously, any kind of super hero and he is happy. Buzz light, ninja turtles, Justice League, etc. This summer he got a little 4-wheeler, and now loves to ride on them, and snow machines! He is such an awesome big brother. Just the other day He was trying to comfort his crying sister on the car ride home. It was so sweet! He loves his Daddy, almost every morning he asks where Daddy is. They play LEGOs together, and he likes to "help" daddy work with his tools. :) But the big news is, he's potty trained! The week of his 3rd birthday was when it clicked and he has done so well! He stays dry through the night and hardly ever has an accident!
Eli
As stated above, Eli got a new job! He started as an apprentice electrician in May and has really enjoyed it! He does have to do some schoolwork, which is not his favorite, but he's done well so far. Still does ebay, you should see his office! It is full of stuff to sell. He had some interesting finds this year, like a Caterpillar tractor (the old school metal ones), a gps, parts to a Keurig coffee machine. They were more but that's all I can think of at the moment. He's very proud of his house projects! His next dream is to tear down our old barn and put up a real garage. How nice would that be?!? He also went on his first hunt in August and got a caribou! It has been so nice to have fresh meat all winter, although we are almost out.... Eli is also excited that his team, the Packers, beat the cowboys and are still in the playoffs! :)
Me
This is always the hardest part, what did I do this past year? Well, I took care of the kids, did tons of laundry, washed hundreds of dishes, made lots of yummy dinners, and attempted to clean the house. One new thing this past year was that I started working every other saturday at Oopsie Daisy. I have enjoyed getting the chance to work with flowers again and make a little extra money. Right now I am saving up for a trip to Ireland, just me and Eli. :) I did some work on my yard this year, mainly weeding the flower bed, which was desperately needed! I always enjoy getting to pick out some new plants each spring and watch them bloom.
I almost forgot a major event! My little brother got married in October in Kansas, so we made a big family trip! It was such a good time seeing my sisters, nieces, extended family, and good friends. We got to road trip from Dallas, TX, to Wichita, KS, and back, go to the Dallas Zoo, drive to places in TX I've never been, and stay at a beautiful ranch (Thanks Cornett's & Sheet's!) All in all, a wonderful trip.
That's about all I can think of for the moment! We are in the process of redoing the kid's closet so once we're done I'll update you on that. Thanks for reading and I hope your year was as blessed as mine!
