Life has felt extra busy lately. With summer coming to a close, county fairs, vacations, church and community activities – we’ve all been on the run! When Sawyer said all she wanted for her birthday was to do Legos with her friends, I was sold!
She’s really gotten into building Lego sets in the past year (and even worked through a chore chart to purchase a Lego house! It was huge and she has had a lot of fun putting it together and playing with it).
We kept things pretty simple and played a little Lego Friends bingo, painted boxes to store our Legos in and then built a Lego set. She hand-picked a set for each of her friends and she did a great job – no one had any of the ones she picked for them!
We all had a really good time! It was a nice, fun birthday party with some nice, fun girls!
Of course, I had to make her a Lego girl shirt for the occasion. She looked precious!
The Lego bunting made the whole party! It was a cheap, easy wow factor!We used all of Sawyer’s Lego sets for decor.We got Sawyer this little set for her birthday – the classic Lego man in a birthday cake! She loved it!
Bingo was a way bigger hit than we imagined! These girls were Bingo queens!The winners got edible Legos – what could be better?
After bingo, it was time to paint!
Painting their boxesThere was only one paint spill and it was just the birthday girl’s brush water…I’d call that a success!
Next, it was time for Lego building!
Then, it was time for cake and presents! She had such generous friends and got some really fun things!
Lego cake from mom’s kitchen… Sweet girl thought it was wonderful and that’s all that matters!Her smile in this picture melts me. She’s not my most expressive kid (read: dramatic) so a genuine smile like this is the best!May all your dreams come true, sweet one!
I bought a silicone Lego mold and we froze pink and purple Kool-Aid to make ice cubes that we put in our Sprite! The girls had more fun mixing up their drinks and making them change colors.
Pretty in pink with her pink and purple drink!
We sent this girls home with Lego necklaces and rings made by Sawyer and a Lego cup, like the Lego characters hold in all of the sets – super cute!
And then? They each got a kitten!
HA! We tried to find them all a home, but only one got to become a house cat. 😉
We are so proud of our sweet Sawyer girl and would do just about anything for that little sweetie! She felt so loved this weekend. She is such a great friend and we pray she always has a good group of friends around her that point her to the Lord.
Today is the *official* first day of summer…but we’ve been calling it “summer” for well over a month now. Lucky for us {insert sarcasm here} summer is really showing off and it’s supposed to be over 100 today. Gag.
Despite the heat wave, we’re really enjoying our summer! The kids are at such fun ages and we’re in a season where life is relatively easy again. (I know, I know…it’s time to have another! We’ll have to see about that…) We’ve tried to take full advantage of our time and resources and do some fun things!
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We started June with a birthday party for the big guy! He turned 35 this year and has been wanting to have a Minute to Win It party with some of our favorite friends so, that’s what we did!
The birthday boy
We played silly, ridiculous games – and had a blast while doing so!
Unwrapping candy with oven mittsThe classic knock the water bottles over with pantyhose on your head game…
At the end of the night, this team DOMINATED the competition…which, I mean, look at them. Bonafide athletes, all of them!
Minute to Win it Champs!
We made their trophies out of something from each of the games we played. If they made it home, I’d be impressed! HA!
Trophy time
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Sawyer got a new horse from her friend Mr. Jeff. This sweetie’s name is LuLu and we. are. in. love!
Sawyer and LuLu
LuLu is strong and stout and as sweet as they come. She loves to eat treats from your hand and will stand all day where you tell her to.
On her first ride!
These two are going to make a lot of good memories together… We just have to keep the fighting down when it comes to who gets to ride her!
We love LuLu!
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A mobile Children’s Museum came to town so we checked that out! It was fun enough inside. The kids got to build and color and explore…
Testing out his foam housePlaying with topsPetting the buffaloMaking a magnet house
The best fun was outside! They had a chore challenge race that was a LOT of fun! They had to move the cow, throw the “cow patties”, haul the corn, churn the butter and shoot a buffalo! The kids had a BLAST at this station!
Moving the cowTossing those patties!Hauling her cornChurning some butterSayble’s turn!She loved every bit!
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Of course, we’ve already hit up Cody Park!
First ride on the carouselSweet sistersThese two had a ball!Sayble loved the trainLove this pic…This is their favorite ride because it’s FAST!Sayble loved holding the tickets
I’m sure there will be a few more trips here for some good, cheap fun!
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We celebrated Father’s Day with this sweet guy!
He is so loved!
We had yummy food (his love language – ha!), watched shows with snacks (Wryder’s idea), rode horses and played outside!
Daddy’s girlSilly goose!Twins
My kiddos are so incredibly blessed to have this guy as a daddy. He received two different father’s day cards in the mail that BOTH said, “I believe you are the kind of father that the Lord intended men to be.” I couldn’t agree more…
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We just got home from a mini-vacation to Kansas! Wrex had to go to the feedyard down there so we tagged along and had some fun when he was done!
Cute as buttons!
We stayed at fun motel that had bunkbeds for the kids, checked out the local zoo (it’s free!!) and then went to the new indoor water park called Parrot Cove. It. Was. A. BLAST!
Sawyer LOVES flamingos!Sassy catThis one just wanted to roar…At the water park
They had 4 little kid slides, a lazy river, several pools, a rock climbing wall, 4 big water slides – it was a LOT of fun! We can’t wait to go back!
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Sure do love these littles…and they’re only little once. We do our fair share of work around here…we kinda like to work hard and play hard. Can’t wait to see what the rest of summer brings!
I’ve had some really good Mother’s Day celebrations…like last year, celebrating a less than week old Sayble.
I’ve had some not-so-great Mother’s Day celebrations…like the year Wryder was born and I was sicker than a dog. I mean, SICK.
This year? This year was one for the record books – it was just a really, really good day.
The kids had me stay in bed until they said I could come out. Well, if you insist!
Wrex had breakfast cooked and they had some really fun gifts and cards and pictures for me – melt my heart!
Happy Mother’s Day, mom!A Lego Mother’s Day wish!My card from Wryder. Just WOW.
We spent some time outside and then I got to spend the majority of the day with the girl who made me a momma as she performed in her last dance recital of the season.
When she was all done, we came home and hung out with the rest of the family outside because it was beautiful! We took a little golf cart tour into the neighboring pastures and Wryder got to show me the dead cow he’d seen – a real treat! Ha!
I remember going through a season where being called “mom” (by a friend, out of sarcasm and a nod to my mature, responsible nature) felt like an insult. I was young! I was fun! I wasn’t a mom! I don’t quite know what was going on in my heart…but just let me say oh, how the tides have turned. There’s not much sweeter to my ears than hearing, “Mom/Momma.” (I mean, the 580th time on a Friday, I might not enjoy it as much as the first time I hear it on a random Tuesday, but still…)
Being “momma” is a badge I wear with pride! So thankful for these sweet little cubs – some of my favorite people/best friends/the most wonderful little humans on the planet! They are the product of our love, our reward, our heritage.
My babies
It’s an amazing thing to have the opportunity to shape the future by what you spend your time on and pour into today. Nothing is wasted in the Kingdom of heaven and nothing is wasted in motherhood – no hug is addled, no words will return void, no teaching or training or correcting will turn up empty. It ALL matters. I am thankful I get to be the full time shoe tier, hands washer, book reader, swing pusher, hair brusher, nap time tucker in-er, school teacher, morning pray-er, owie kisser…
I’m thankful for their daddy, too – for lots of reasons – but especially for the fact that he works so diligently so that I can be at home during the week to actually BE momma.
Good gosh, I love this man
Some days in mommyland are just plain hard. Some days are just plain cake. But all of them? All of them are worth it.
I had the privilege of throwing a birthday party for a SA-WEET little one year old today! I adore her and her little family and we couldn’t wait to honor her – we are so glad that she was born!
She sure is!
We went with a hot air balloon theme…and I’m not really sure why except that I thought it would be cute?! Is that a good enough reason??
Those cloud balloons, though…
Everything was pink and white and minty blue/green. We made hot air balloons out of paper lanterns and berry baskets and I found the cutest cloud balloons and cups to go with our dinner ware.
The spreadUp, up and away!
We made cloud and hot air balloon bunting and had it hanging in the window…
Happy birthday, indeed!
We had 12 months worth of pictures of our little sweetie hanging on the mantle…
Sweet baby MesaIt was so festive in here!
We made giant hot air balloons out of, well, giant balloons and apple baskets! They turned out so cute!
The big kids had fun in these!The whole shebang!
We got to hang out with Mesa and her momma most of the day – always a treat in my book!
Pretty girls!
The kids were so excited to give her her gift and kept wanting to pose with it themselves!
Take my picture, mom!
She finally got to play with it and I think it was a hit!
Tea time!Good gravy, she’s cute!
Once the daddies got home from the sale barn, we played tea party, a few Wii games and then the real party started!
Sayble got to sit in the booster so that our guest of honor could have the high chair. Needless to say, she thought she was big stuff! I don’t think she was quiet the entire dinner!
She was full of all kinds of antics, including the towel on her head!
Mesa really loved the balloons on her seat…and the pancakes, too!
Where’s Mesa?!There she is!Waiting (patiently) for cake time!
We made her a hot air balloon cake and she was so cute trying to blow that candle out!
Cake time!Look at that face!Hurry and sing so I can eat the cake instead!Let’s do this thang!Eatin’ it by the fistfuls!Startin’ to get full…One more little bite…
Oh, Mesa Moo…we sure do love you!
The Phipps Five and Mesa Moo!
We bless the day you were born! May you embrace your role as the daughter of the Lord of the Lords, the first born, a princess of the King of Kings. We pray you run to Him all the days of your life. He is worthy of your adoration and you are worthy of His love. Can’t wait for number two!
The kids got Wendy’s coupons for free Junior Frosties a while back and we decided to use those puppies for Fun Friday!
This girl loves her sweets!She ate the whole thing by herself! (Don’t even think of helping her with that spoon!)These 2 enjoyed theirs as well!
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Earlier this week, as we were rushing around getting ready for Awana/Cubbies, I looked at the calendar and with about 12 minutes to spare, saw it was a “crazy hair day.” Normally, we would fall under that category anyways but we wanted to go with something a little more purposeful.
We decided upon a donut..on a donut plate. I made a quick bun and an even quicker donut frosting with sprinkles out of foam. (Have I told you how much I love foam?? LOVE that stuff.) Thankfully, this had a sticky back and we stuck it right to her hair!
Cute as a button and sweet as…a donut!
Of course, with all the picture taking, Wryder wanted in on the action.
Ready for Cubbies!
One handsome rascal! He picked out his entire outfit all by himself. Swoon.
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We got a new game for Christmas called “Life on the Farm.” The kids couldn’t wait to bust it out and it really is fun to play, for a couple of country kids especially. You get to buy and sell cows for the most part – right up dad’s alley, too.
Dad had spread himself kind of thin and had to pass up an opportunity to buy cows for a really cheap price.
Sawyer: “Wait, why in the world would you pass on a cattle auction?”
Oh, yes, a girl after her daddy’s heart…
Life on the Farm
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We’ve started school again (after a lengthy and well-deserved Christmas break). This time around, Sayble is only napping once a day instead of two, so we’re all trying to figure out what that looks like as far as school (and mom’s sanity) goes.
Lately, there’s been a lot of this:
Pen thief!
This sweet little thing LOVES to write! As long as we can keep it on paper, I’m A-ok with that!
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Over New Year’s, we all traveled to North Platte to do some post-Christmas shopping/errand running and Wrexy insisted on pedicures for the girls! (We didn’t object much!)
Time for our toes!I sure love this girl…
Sawyer had her first one before her 5th birthday and has loved them ever since!
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We also took a tour of the Perkins County Museum! It’s in a beautiful, historic home right off Main street and she’s been wanting to go in for a while. That morning, I just happened to see that they were open so I surprised her with a visit!
She loved the phonograph!!The icebox was pretty cool, too!
It was really neat and our tour guide was just as sweet as pie! So many cool things to see but I loved the old school house, but didn’t get a picture. What the what?!
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We have the privilege of throwing a sweet one year old’s birthday party this next week! I’ve been working on cutting and stringing and all kinds of little paper crafts. I can only give you a sneak peek for now but I’ll make sure and post lots of pictures after the fact!
Someone’s growing up…
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It feels like we’re getting back into our routine again after the holiday season. We’re currently bracing for a snow/ice storm that we’re all hoping isn’t as bad as the meteorologists are predicting. I’m hoping to get get my fair share of football games in if the electricity will stay on!
Oh, my heart. The bestie and the adoptive momma, Nonna, came to visit earlier this week. They hadn’t been out to our new home and with 3 kids, 3 and under, it was quite a feat! That’s how much she loves me, people.
Almost here! EEP!
The kids had a good time being wild and wooly together! Wryder and Eva teamed up quite a bit being that they are both three. Day one, she thought he was wonderful! Day two, the new had worn off a bit and she clung to Sawyer most of the day.
There was lots of book reading and stroller pushing and game playing. Dessa mainly ran back and forth from basement to the main floor as she shuffled kids from place to place. That girl was busy!
1, 3, 1, 3Toys!BedheadThe highlight of the day!
Nonna is always a hit amongst the grandkids, mine included. She has this knack to see people…and not just with physical eyes…but to see them and get them and call the best out in them. Ask me how I know. The kids are always drawn to her sweet and melodious voice, her loving eyes and open arms. Plus, she has this ability to make each kid feel like they are the most important person in the room. She always takes the time…
Games with Nonna!Making birthday videos!This girl knows how wonderful Nonna is!
It was so nice to have them here, even for just a few short days. These women are two of my most trusted allies, my biggest cheerleaders and staunch encouragers. They are women of deep and abiding love, full of Godly wisdom, brimming in grace and mercy. They have had a HUGE hand in making me who I am today by loving me and mentoring me in my impressionable twenties.
I woke up crying yesterday morning, knowing they would be leaving and it didn’t get much better the rest of the day. These women have been my sister, my mother, best friends, baby deliverers! They make me desire to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, ministry partner, lover of Jesus. Their love is deep and true and though we talk and text and email, I miss the days of seeing them multiple times a week…the family dinners…the birthday celebrations…the Bible studies…the long talks…the sense of family that was just right down the road instead of a state away.
The beautiful thing with the family of the spirit, is that the Holy Spirit binds you tighter than any amount of physical proximity can. These ladies are in my heart.
Sandhills Sonrise Christian School had it’s inaugural day and it was a success! Sawyer is such a good student and loves to learn, so teaching her is quite fun. I’m sure there will be harder days down the road but today? Today was a good day.
Also, just so we get it out there, Wrex totally laughed at me for getting her a first day of school outfit but I couldn’t resist!
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After Sawyer’s baptism last week, Wrex’s Grandma (and the kids’ GooGoo) stayed with us for a whole week! She hasn’t gotten to do that in more than a year so it was such a special treat for us!
I love this pic!
I know I’ve talked about her several times before, but she really is a magnificent lady. She is leaving a legacy of the fear of the Lord and a legacy of familial love with all of us, and we can’t thank her enough for that.
The kids adore her and she spent more time playing with them than anyone I know! She even got in and out of Wryder’s little playroom multiple times a day, despite her being “not as spry as she once was!”
Snuggling GooGoo
They read every book on the bookshelf and watched a few fun cartoons and ate snacks and did hair and played farm and sale barn and Paw Patrol and Barbies and Uno until she was just plain tuckered out! She even slept with one of the kids almost every night, which they loved.
Lots of time in her lap…
My favorite moments where some of the quiet ones where I could hear her talking to them about being kind or using manners or how to show respect to someone or how to include someone that was lonely. Wrex has always attributed a lot of his kindness and manners to her and I love seeing her pass a piece of that on to the next generation.
We took her to North Platte on Saturday so she could start her journey home and when it was time to say goodbye, there wasn’t a dry eye in the car…except for Wryder because he had just gotten a toy train from RaRa and that seemed to assuage his heartache. *ahem*
We sure love our GooGoo and all that she does to pour into our lives and our kids’ lives… Come back soon, Grandma!
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While we were in North Platte, we had to make a stop at Cody Park! The kids rode rides with RaRa AND GooGoo!
Fun!So. Much. FUN!
I’m telling you, she’s the coolest!
We also checked out the Fort…
Love these people…Here comes Sayble, riding on a pony…
and the kids loved the wooden display in the back.
Sawyer was so inspired, that she came home and made a paper version!
Cowgirl, cowboy and horseCalf by a pond with water, complete with a boat and a DUCK!
I love that girl’s creativity and drive!
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Wryder got a special gift on Saturday, too! The grands were going to wait until Christmas but decided he was gonna be too big if they waited any longer and let him have them now.
What is it?
He got PaPa’s chaps from when HE was a little boy! His mom had them custom made and he wore them and then Wrex wore them and now Wryder will wear them.
Pure joy!
In case you can’t tell, he was FIRED. UP.
Is that cute or what?!
He’ll wear them proud, PaPa!
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While I bought groceries, the kids played at the park with daddy. Sayble had a BALL!
One of my new favorite pictures of her!That smile!Seriously, she’s darn cute!
Wrex and I were talking the other day about how her adventures and discoveries and her new tasks and words are still just as exciting as they were with the other two. It never gets old…
I’ve said it a million times – and I’ll say it again – these ARE the best years of our life!
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This week marks the beginning of the busy fall season for us. Sawyer starts dance next week, Awana starts this week (Cubbies next), Wrexy’s sales start getting longer and of course, school. All of these are such good and fun and wonderful things but they can leave us scrambling to get from one place or event or thing to the next. I’m such a lover of peace…I’m trying not to spread myself too thin. I want my the Lord and family to come first and to truly come first…not just get lip action.
As I was shutting off the lights in the school room last night, I was uttering little thoughts to the Lord about our school adventure and my heart shouted, “Lord, I just want to be pleasing to you.” It caught me off guard, yet settled my soul. Though I care about what she learns this year, more than that, I just want us to be a family that pleases Him. Let it be so, Lord…
A week ago today, Sawyer took a big step in obedience to the Lord and got baptized!
She was first!Nervous smileComforting hug – she needed that!Dead to sin…
She was pretty nervous when it came right down to it, but she did so well and had a great big smile on her face when it was all said and done.
Joy!
It was a joyous occasion and we had so many sweet friends and family join us to celebrate her big day. THANK YOU to each of you who helped make her day special!
We all had lunch together and spent time feasting and visiting and thanking the Lord for all He has done for us! (Can you believe I didn’t get a picture of the actual lunch festivities?!)
Let’s feast!A timeline of some of the things that have lead her to Jesus…
Sawyer girl, we are so proud of you and Jesus is, too! We love you dearly and know that the Lord has specific plans for your life. We pray that you will seek Him with all of your heart, all the days of your life.
The day she asked Jesus into her heart, September 2014
A week ago today was one of the best days of my life to date! So proud of sweet Sawyer and so thankful for the group of people He has given us to do life with…the day was PERFECTION.
You guys sure know how to make a girl feel loved and appreciated! It was so fun to connect with so many of you yesterday…Facebook is good for something, yes?!
So today, let’s look around downstairs. The entry way of the house was painted a pumpkinish orange. It really just reminded me of the Texas Longhorns and I just. couldn’t. do. it.
Entry before
As you can see, we painted it a dark, dark grey and I like how it toned down all of the other wood in the kitchen and dining area.
Entry afterEntry afterEntry after
So the right is the kitchen, and right in front of you is the bar we installed.
Entry after
It’s the perfect little space for breakfast and such…and for the kids to sit at because the rest of the official dining room has carpet. When I swept after the first meal, I knew we had made the right choice with the bar!
Our previous home did not have a dining room and I’ve never grown up in a house with one, yet my heart looooonged for one. I love family dinners…I love the breaking of bread and feasting and raucous laughter that comes with sharing something yummy with people you love. This place has a great dining room…
Dining room before
and my sweet husband filled it with the perfect table…
Dining room after
Isn’t he amazing?! We kept our old chairs and used the same table base, but he built the table top and the benches! We can get a solid 12 people around this thing. My heart is racing just thinking about it!
It’s my favorite room in the house, truly, because I love all that it represents. My other favorite thing is the fireplace guard. Another gift from the brother-in-law. It was an old stock rack that you’d sit in the back of a pickup to haul livestock and it fit PERFECTLY in this space – it was made for us!
Off of the dining room is the school room – a close second for favorites! We didn’t do much in here except paint the pumpkin the same dark grey as the entry way and replace the light fixture…
School room before
Are you ready? Seriously? It’s divine! We spend so much time in this room and school hasn’t even started yet!
School room afterSchool room afterSchool room after
We ordered our curriculum last week and got our approval letter in the mail and we are ready to REALLY use this room! Off of this room, is sweet little patio area with a good view of the neighboring cows…peaceful and sweet.
Ok, so back to the kitchen. We didn’t do anything to it besides paint. The walls were a light yellow and, again, we went with a grey just to tone everything down a bit.
Kitchen afterKitchen after
I love the brick, I love all the storage. It doesn’t look huge but it has far more room that our previous kitchen. The only thing I’m missing is my gas stove; electric just isn’t the same!
Off of the kitchen is our room and bathroom; two of the less “wow” rooms of the house. We didn’t do anything in our room except upgrade the ceiling fan that threatened to fall on us in the night.
Master bedroom
It’s sweet and simple and easy to keep clean. And? It has a nice sized closet – something else we’ve never had before!
The master bath is one of the more dated rooms, but we did our best at making it look at least nice enough.
Master bath beforeMaster bath before
We changed a lot in the room, starting with the color. We put in new lighting, new mirrors, new fixtures…a good head start without ripping the thing to shreds and starting over…
Master bath afterMaster bath afterMaster bath after
It’s better….
Off of the kitchen, is the stairway leading to the basement, the laundry room, a mudroom bathroom and the living room…but I’ll do those another day.
Today, we’re headed to Mullen to see the original WD Phipps and the kids are fired up! Wryder has his “cowboy clothes” on and Sawyer is dressed to the nines…their great-grands are pretty lucky!
Oh, sweet friends! Were you wondering if I’d ever return?! Life has been crazy and GOOD – crazy good!
To catch you up in one, simple run-on sentence, we had the opportunity to sell our house, rent an upgraded (read: bigger, newer, central air having, more-than-one-bathroom-and-an-actual-dining-room) home that answered all of our prayers…so we packed our things and cleaned out barns and buildings and took way longer than we ever imagined to move in because apparently we have a lot of stuff and like things just so…BUT we are in and feeling settled and LOVING. IT. HERE. The Lord blessed our socks off and we feel this is exactly where we are supposed to be for the here and now – not much better than that!
And? Apparently, I have some of the sweetest, most encouraging friends on the planet who want to see pictures of the place so what better day than today to get me back in the saddle of blogging. I’ve missed it so!
Moving had been on our minds for a while for lots of reasons, one being that we had bought our home on what we had called a five-year plan. It suited us well and we loved that sweet, little 100 year old farm house but with the addition of two other children, things started to feel a little tight. (And, I know, that is definitely a first world problem. We have never felt anything but blessed to live there – remember that awesome story!? – but we felt the Lord prompting us towards something different and we were ready to go!)
We had heard about the house from friends from church. They told us where it was so we drove by just to see if it was even something was an option for us. Whoa. Nelly. It was like dream-home material!
Yes. Just YES.
A month or so later, we took a tour, prayed our faces off, sold our home and moved in here! We LOVE IT. I’m afraid, no other home will ever compare – truly! Obviously, there are things we might change if we owned the place but for now? It’s perfect for us! The Lord answered all of our requests and desires and then some!
From the moment I walked in, I could SEE us making memories here. I could see myself in the kitchen, cooking with Sayble while looking out the window at the other 2 playing outside. I could see Bible studies and card parties in the big ole family room and loud family dinners in the dining room. I could see kids playing for hours in their big kid rooms and looking out over the pastures from their windows – I could just see us here!
Some people probably think we’re crazy for renting but for us, this was the best option for now, for several reasons. (And just so you know, I don’t feel the NEED to explain myself, but if you don’t know that I’m an open book by now…)
1) We had reached a point with our old home that we felt we had maxed out or profit potential without doing something drastic…and we weren’t up for drastic. 2) Moving is always on the table when you work for a company 3 states away. While we love this area and home we never have to, it’s always an option. 3) Building costs mega $$ these days! I don’t know if we built what we’d like and then had to move, if we’d ever get our money out of the place. 4) There aren’t very many farmsteads in the area that AREN’T either a modular or a 100 year old farmhouse and we’ve been there done that. 5) It was the Lord. All Him. I won’t argue.
So, to recap…moving with 3 small children is hard. Moving with livestock is harder. Moving 112 chickens is hardest. We love our new home and can’t imagine life anywhere else!
Here are some pics of the new digs!
We’ll start upstairs. The stairs come up out of the dining room, up to the kids’ floor. All three of their bedrooms and their bathroom is up here, which is so nice! They’re all together and it’s REALLY quiet for them…which means good sleep for them, so good sleep for mom and dad!
Don’t knock the paneling – ha! We weren’t gonna mess with that!
Upstairs – emptyUpstairs – emptyUpstairs after; top of the stairs
Now, why did I start with that picture?! The bookshelf. Sigh. I have visions of it being artfully arranged…but then I remember that I have 3 small children who I want to LOVE to read so I’ve given up the fight on the perfect bookshelf and have gone with the “we use it all the dang time so it’s always disheveled look.” You should try it, too!
Upstairs after; truly a happy place!
My brother-in-law got me that dreamy pew last year and I was so happy to have a place for it in our new home! I started out like this:
Pew before
and after a good sanding and a fun color, it’s one of my favorite things in the house!
Pew after
The kids’ bathroom isn’t huge but I think it’s perfect for them! I’ve been so impressed with how clean they have kept it!
Since then, they’ve gotten a new faucet, as this one bit the dust about 2 weeks in, but it’s just a fun, sweet little bathroom – I love it! (It was the first room that was completely finished in the whole house! Gotta love small rooms that didn’t need paint – ha!)
Wryder’s room DEFINITELY needed paint. It’s hard to see in the pictures but the walls were in pretty bad shape as far as scratches and dings.
Wryder’s room beforeWryder’s room beforeWryder’s room before
We painted it a pretty, neutral grey and I love how it turned out!
Wryder’s room after paintWryder’s room after paintWryder’s room afterWryder’s room afterWryder’s room afterWryder’s big closet!
Sayble’s room is the smallest, but it suits her needs just fine for now! I love how it turned out…so sweet and cute – like her!
Sawyer got the biggest room. It was an easy choice for us as far as layout goes…and? The girl’s got a lot of stuff. There’s a hoarder gene on the Phipps side and by golly, the girl’s got it!
Part of why she needed the big room was for this:
LOVE LOVE LOVE
There’s just something about a cute farm house with two twin beds in a room! I bought those headboards at an auction one day for $5 each. They are vintage 20’s and just cute as a button and I’ve been storing them for this room!
Headboard beforeHeadboard after paint – Sweet Caroline, to be exact!Sawyer’s roomSawyer’s room
Her room is so sweet and so totally her. She loves her double beds; she loves the little table for tea parties and such and she loves using the toybox as her desk/office. And? She has a huge closet – a must for a girl with a penchant for cute things!
Sawyer’s room and a few of her fun things!Sawyer’s roomSawyer’s closet
And, yes…that is exactly what you think it is! She has a “secret room” behind the bookshelf in her closet! We turned it into a toy room for her and all of us love spending time in there.
I wish I had taken before and after pictures of it because we did the works in there! New carpet, new lighting, boarded the walls…
Sawyer’s toy room after
It is so fun and the perfect place to store all of her Barbies and babies and doll house things. And? Wryder has one, too. How did we luck out like that?!
Wryder’s playroom beforeWryder’s toy room after
We put in new carpet, painted everything and put in new lighting. I LOVE this space and he does, too! I love having the toys out of sight, too, I won’t lie!
Wryder’s toy room afterWryder’s toy room after
And? Sayble has a little crawl space in her room that we can turn into a playroom for her one day. But we’re tired. And she’s still a baby. So we’ll wait.
Thank you for humoring my little house tour with my awful iPhone pictures. 😉 We’ll hit downstairs tomorrow. Maybe, all of my pictures will have uploaded by then. Oh, how we miss our good internet service!
Then, it was time for cake and presents! She had such generous friends and got some really fun things!
And then? They each got a kitten!
HA! We tried to find them all a home, but only one got to become a house cat. 😉
