NYC

So I meet my friend Kate and her 5 friends in NYC for a little sightseeing this past week. Most of the ladies have never been to NYC before so they wanted to see everything. But we only had 16 hours to see everything.

So we started off from our hotel which we in midtown and heading to Ground Zero. I have not been there post 9-11. It felt strange to be standing there. So days I still think was a bad dream but it was not.





Then we had off to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty. So I took a few pics of the girls with lady liberty in the background.



Then we hoped the train and head up to Times Square. We eat at The Hard Rock Cafe
and shopped at M&M World and Toys R Us.




After that we headed back to our hotel to get some sleep because we were going to get up early and head to the Today show. On our way to Rockefeller center we stopped at St. Patrick's Cathedral.Then off to the morning show were we saw then tape a segment outside in the pour rain mind you. After we got on camera we head to check out 30 Rock. There is a observation deck there called Top of the Rock.

Here is a shot of the Empire State Building from Top of the Rock.



Since I am forgetful person all the pics are courtesy of Kate.

Thanks for looking!

For today's post....

I am posting about my living room.

My mother in law came and stayed with us for about 2 weeks so we could get this room done.

My MIL worked for days getting the wallpaper off the walls and prep them for painting. Then we painted and broke out the new furniture I got from Ikea. I love the way the room turned out!!!!!

I came up with a new idea of arranging the furniture. Before everything was spaced out and Ty's toys were in front of the fire place. Now the furniture is in an "L" shape on side of our rectangle shaped room and Ty's toys and train table are on the other side of the room.

Love this new arrangement!!!! It makes the room feel so much bigger then it really is.







Thanks for looking!!!!!!!!!

Finally some pictures

Of our newly remodeled guest bathroom! After weeks of dust and our house turned upside down the remodel projects are almost complete for right now. I have a few more projects I would like to get done but they will have to wait.

So over the new few posts I will posting pictures of the newly remodeled bathrooms and living room.

So here are a few pictures of the guest bath.







Stay tuned for living room pictues and the next week.

Happy Birthday Matt!

My hubby turned 30 on April 26th.



So we spent the weekend out in western PA on a rail fanning trip( I think that is the terminology). We had a great time watching trains and spending time together. I got a chance to read 3 books in 3 days. It was great!

We went to Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, PA.


Train going around the curve.

This is a picture of how close the tracks were to the inn we stayed at. The inn's name was called the Tunnel Inn because it was almost in the tunnel.



Taken from the back deck.

We got to see a really cool cool train. This train is Norfolk Southerns business train heading to Kentucky for the derby. So there was many railfans waiting to get this picture.




Matt would like to take another trip out that way in the fall so he can get some fall colors in the pictures. So we may try to work out a trip.

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for you support and encouraging words!

I am still waiting a few test results to come in but the bottom line is I have to lose weight.

Tyler and I have been doing more walking and we are going to start back at the Y this week since our colds are gone.

Our master bath remodel is almost finished!!!!!! Tomorrow the plumbers come to hook up the plumbing and then we are good to go!!!!!!

This project has gone on for about 6 weeks and I am tired of the mess. So stay tuned for pics to come.

Next up is the living room. My mother in law and I are starting that project next week. I will post pics of this project as well.

I would post some pics in this post but I am without my computer or my hard drive. My hard drive last week decided to stop working and I did not back up so I am having lots of computer people looking a the hard drive to see if they can get my pictures back.

So please, please back up your computers!

So hopefully I will be able to post pictures soon!

Weight Loss and Getting Healthy

So I went to the doctor the other day for a follow up on my blood work and he was not happy. I wasn't happy myself. Everything was slightly elevated. Which expected because my weight has increased by 60lbs since my dad got sick. I have been emotionally and stress eating for almost 2 years and it has to stop.

So today I am starting my new plan. I am cutting portions, counting calories and walking 20mins 3x a day 4 days a week. Some walking will be at the gym some will be around the neighborhood.

I have to do this so the weight will come off and I will be healthy again.

I was floored when I realized I weigh more now then when I was pregnant with Ty. All I keep thinking is how did I let that happen? when did this happen?

Stay tuned for updates!

All hooked up and ready to go!!

Tuesday was a very busy day for us.

We hosted playgroup, the plumbers were here finishing up the bathroom and my new fridge came.

Here is a picture of the fridge in its new home.



The bathroom is almost finished all that is left is to put up a few things and then I will take pictures of the remodel. Next on the chopping block is our master bathroom. After the bathroom we are moving on to livingroom.

We are also brainstorming so idea's for the kitchen and the back yard.

Stay tuned!

Look what I got

So I got up this morning took out the waffles and they we not fully frozen. Then I realized the fridge was not humming.

So off to Lowes I went and I got this



I lucked out. I got this stainless steel fridge for $1,500. It retailers for $2,800. It is the display model.

I can't wait until it comes tomorrow!

So we must say good-bye to our old one.


It was here when we bought the house almost 3 yrs ago and I am sure they used it for many years.

I leave you with a card I made for a friend who is having twin girls in a few weeks.


Congrats Shandy and family!

March is almost over

I can't believe March is almost over. I feel like I got nothing done this month because I blinked and the month is over.

So a quick recap of March we demoed our guest bathroom around March 14 and the contractor was here March 17th and started putting up drywall. As of today all that is left is to paint and put in the toilet and sink!!!!! DH and I are going to start painting tonight and Monday the plumber will be here to put in the toilet and sink.

DH and I spent 3 nights and 4 days away from the maddness of our life and celebrate our 4th wedding anniversery. It was great to spend time just us.

Tyler started daycare. He likes it but when I drop him off he screams and cries but his teacher tells me he has a great time after I leave.

We spent Palm Sunday with some family. We had a great time and the kids got to hunt for eggs.



We colored eggs the night before Easter Sunday. Tyler had great fun putting the eggs in the cups of dye and he LOVED seeing the eggs change from white to color. He keep saying wow...wow...wow. I think he is going to have even more fun next year!




Finally sings of spring.




Thanks for reading!

Ty's first day of daycare/preschool

So I took the plunge. I signed Ty up for daycare. Since my networking meeting have moved to 8am I needed to find care for him. So he is going Thursday's for half a day and come September he is going to go 2 days a week. He had a good first day yesterday. Next week Nana gets to take him since Matt and I are going away for the week.

What is great about this is I can now take my dad to doctors appts without distraction. I can focus on the doctor and not a screaming 2 yr old.

Here is a picture of Ty all decked out in his school gear.



SO I have spent the past few days decluttering and reorganizing our house. I figured since we have a dumpster I will try to get rid of a lot of clutter we done need. i have also made 2 trips to Goodwill with clothes.

It feels good to be working our way to clutter free.

It also feels good to have consolidated our debts into one payment. No more credit cards for us.

As for this weekend we are going to hang at home tomorrow and on Sunday we are going to a brunch/birthday party at my cousins house. Should be fun!

Happy Leap Day!

We get an extra day this month and today is it!

What are you going to do with your extra day?

I am going to go to the doctor to make sure my sickies are just what I think they are. Then home to work on swap stuff that I have to mail on Monday and work on a little talk I have to do Monday night at my team meeting for my jewelry business.

I would love to work on some of the house work I have let slide since I got sick a week ago but I didn't want to push it.

Enjoy your extra day today and do something fun!

I am back and little family review

I have been so sick the last few days. I had a cold/flu like sickies since last Friday. But I am feeling much better today, not 100%, but better.

I have worked on few digi LO's over the past week. I have been trying to work on my swap stuff but with being sick it has zapped my scrappy mojo. I am hoping it comes back this weekend!

I took Ty for his 2 yr appt. He is growing so fast! He is 36 ins and 25 lbs. He is starting to use more words and that makes life so much easier.

Matt is doing well and looking forward to our mini vacation in March.

Dad's eye surgery went very well! He is seeing better and will have the other eye done in about 6 months or so.

James is doing well in Washington. He is almost done with this semester and is all ready to go next semester. He will be coming to visit in June for a week. Which is cool because Matt, Ty and I are going to take a little road trip to Balitmore.

I am going to leave you with a few digi LO's.

Some new LO's

I have been scrapping both traditional and digital. I have been having so much fun doing both! Paper scrapping give me paper and glue fix and digi helps me scrap when I want without making a big mess.

Here a few digi:







I want to retake the pictures I took of my latest paper LO's before I post.

It feel good to get back in the scrappy grove.

It has been awhile

I have not had the time in the past fews to post.

We have been busy getting dad ready for eye surgery in 2 weeks. So lots of doctor appointments. We have been working on picking out new tile and paint for the bathroom remodel project we have scheduled to start the begining of March. We have also been busy with working on getting the house refinaced to one of the new lower interest rates. We are going to consoldate our other debt. So now we are only going to have one payment a month and it 4 hundred dollars less then what is going out now.

So with the refi almost complete we can cross off one of our goals for 2008. Next on the goal list is to declutter and organize each room in the house. we are going to room by room declutter, paint and organize. I know it is going to feel so good to get it done!

So for the dinning romm is 90% finished. All that is left is to put some china in the corner hutches. I also reoganized the coat closet. We now can fit coats, shoes and the vaccum in the closet!

The guest bedroom has been an on going project for the past feew weeks. I have been going through boxes and coming up with a plan for storge of office supplies and my scrapbooking stuff. We are trying to get the most that we can out of the room.

I am hoping to remove the wall paper and paint the livingroom in April. I would like to add an Expedit from Ikea for Ty's toy storge in there.

Enough about the house. I went to a weekend crop in Jan and I got 12 layouts done! I was so happy to get so much done in one weekend!

I will post them later. I am also hoping to post some Ty birthday parties as soon as I upload them from the camera.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Ty!

Tyler Turned 2 yesterday!

He is getting so big so fast.

We are going to have little Birthday party for him on Saturday so I will post pictures then!

Happy Holidays!

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

Where has December and 2007 gone?

We are ready for the big day. Gifts are bought and wrapped, cards mailed, menus planned, and the camera is ready to go.

I pick up James from the airport tomorrow night. He is going to spending a week here on the East Coast. Then back to Washington for school and he is going to look for a new job. Right now he is working overnights. He wants something to work better with his school schedule.

I am looking forward to the New Year. I am hoping 2008 is a great year for us. Matt and I are writing down our top 3 goals for 2008 in a few different areas of our lives. I think listing only 3 will help us reach our goals.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year!

I am going to leave you with another picture of Ty and the Christmas Cactus.

Check out my Slide Show!

Thanks Stacy I got it to work!!!!

Well I finally got a slide show. Now I have to figure out how to move it to the right side of the blog. Any suggestions???

That's my son

So Tyler has been all about climbing lately. He moves his ball pit over to the bay window and uses it to climb onto the window sill and sits down and watches the world go by out back.

Here is how I found him this morning while I was getting his breakfast ready.



He thinks there is nothing wrong with sitting in my Christmas catcus or climbing up into the window.

Wildlife

I have found myself getting more and more interested in wildlife photography.

Here a few pictures I snapped at work this weekend.







This is the rocking chair I want so bad. It is so comfy!




Thanks for looking!

Our Tree is up!

Friday we got down to business and got our decorating done inside.

Here is the tree.




This where the stocking are going to hang, but not yet because Ty likes to pull them down.



Finally here is our family picture we are sending out for our Christmas card.




When I get the decorations for outside I will post a picture.

Thanks for looking!