Our First Home

On November 19th we listed our house.  Of course, as anyone who's listed their home knows, I have about a million and 1 different emotions associated with this fact.  The house has seen us become husband and wife.  It's seen 3 different cars and 4 different jobs between the two of us.  It's where we brought Lola home.  It's where we brought Emery and Brynn home.  It's where we've all grown and thrived for the last 5 years.  To say that we love it wouldn't do it justice.  That isn't what this post is about though, so I'll leave it at that.

We settled on listing the house in mid-November because the market has softened considerably in our area amidst interest rate hike chatter and oil prices plummeting.  We were under the impression our new house would be ready at the end of January or in early February.  (Foreshadowing for the next Home Sweet Home Reno?  Si.)  We also learned that there was some new regulation in residential real estate that can make closing take 45 days to 60 days.  The combination of these facts made us think we needed to list stat.

We were all beyond shocked and counting our lucky stars when we listed on a Thursday and went to work on Monday with a signed contract in hand.  Our real estate Guardian Angel must have known trying to keep this house show-ready with 2 toddlers in the mix was likely to result in the purchase of a 1-way flight to Mexico.

As I've documented on the blog in the past, when we moved into this home we had all kinds of grand plans.  I had visions of completing fantastic DIY projects and writing about them all here on the blog.  While I have documented most of what we've done in some form or fashion, we certainly didn't get to everything we planned to.  I had really hoped to "finish" each room and then give it it's own post.  To no one's shock, I haven't ever considered a room finished enough to do that (except Brynn's).  I've come to realize though that selling your house is a pretty good pencils down moment.  So, what better way to pay homage to the home that has taken such good care of us than by showing how it's grown and changed.  Kick your shoes off and take a trip down memory lane with me, won't you?

THE FRONT

Before.

After.  We painted the door red.  Ryan re-shaped the beds by the house and added the pavers lining them.  We completely re-landscaped with the exception of the wax trees.

THE FOYER

Before.

After.  Unfortunately this isn't from the same angle.  We painted the foyer (SW Harmonic Tan).  We had the inside of the door painted white.  It was black.

THE DINING ROOM

Before.

After.  We painted.  Above the chair rail is SW Bracing Blue and below is SW Cottage Cream.  Oh, and we had the chair rail painted so you could actually see it.  Your girl loooooves herself some chair rail.

THE OTHER TV ROOM

Before.

After.  We actually did nothing in here.  Oh, actually Ryan hung a TV which is not pictured.  :c)

THE LIVING ROOM

Before.

After.  Ryan & my Dad spent quite a few days mounting the TV and hiding the accompanying cables/wires.

After.  Oh, and we painted.  A couple of times, actually.  :c)  This color is SW Cottage Cream.

More after.

THE KITCHEN

Before.

Before.

After.  We had the door painted white.  

After.  We also painted the walls SW Foothills.

More after.

Apparently we have a lot of pictures of the kitchen.

THE MASTER BEDROOM

Before.

After.  We painted the walls SW Mannered Gold.

THE MASTER BATHROOM

Before.

After.  If you're thinking- man that looks similar- you are correct.  The bathrooms are #1 on my list of self-proclaimed failures.

BRYNN'S ROOM

Before.

After.  Ryan & my Dad hung the fan.  Ryan added chair rail.  We painted (colors I don't recall the names of.  Similar to SW Butter Up though.)  I cranked out that stencil.

THE PLAYROOM

Before.

After.  Ryan & my Dad hung that chandelier.  We painted SW Morning Fog.

EMERY'S ROOM

Before.

After.  Ryan & my Dad hung that fan.  Ryan & my Dad added chair rail (wasn't joking about my affection for it).  We painted SW Baize Green above the chair rail and Behr color I can't recall the name of below.  I decided stencils were hard and ordered Lottie Dottie decals from Land of Nod.

THE GIRLS' BATHROOM

Before.

After.  We painted Martha Stewart Sandpiper.  Another area I consider a total failure of mine.  I can count on one hand the number of times this bathroom has been utilized in our time here.

THE BACKYARD

Before.

Before.

After.  As you can see this is where we did the most work.  Ryan & my Dad removed a lot of landscaping. 

We added the pergola and a flagstone patio.  We gave up on growing grass under that tree and put some bark mulch down.  We added a flower bed along the garage.  We spruced up the bed under the master bedroom window.

More after.  We love you, house!

Brynn's Space

Alright, so I promised myself and the blog-o-sphere that I was going to finish Brynn's room before going back to work.  This is me delivering on that promise.  Have you sent those cookies yet?  You probably should now.  Seriously.

It's by no means perfect but it's what this busy Mama could manage to do.  Hopefully one day she appreciates it.  If not, perhaps her punishment will be stenciling other rooms of the house.  We'll see.

P.S.  Let's not judge the picture quality, hmmm?  Emery's nap time is a very short window in which to accomplish as many To-Do items as possible.  It makes Minute To Win It look like a piece of cake.

P.P.S.  I'm linking writing down some things because if I ever need to know it in the future, this is where I'll look.  I'm getting way too old to store much beyond last week's Celebrity Apprentice in this noggin of mine.  I do not actually expect that you will find yourself so impressed that you'll need it.

This is what walking in a door to a room looks like.  I know, I know- try to catch your breath.

Where this princess will lay her head.  Some day.  Furniture is from the Nottingham line by Baby's Dream.

Ryan loved hanging those bird cages.  Ask him about it.  That stencil is called Large Moorish Trellis from Royal Design Studio.

This was an exercise in how much I could squish myself up into a tiny corner.  Not very well is the answer for anyone curious.

These curtains were made by my amazing Mama.  The fabric is called Aqua Dot (clever, I know) from New Arrivals.  That print with Brynn's birth deets is from Willow Lane Prints on Etsy.

Again my talented-beyond-words Mama made this bedding.  The outside of the bumper is in a fabric called Layla Rose, the inside is in a fabric called Peppermint stripe and the skirt is in a fabric called Aqua Solid all from New Arrivals.

Oh HEEEEEY 2015 - Looking Good!

I debated whether or not to post about ringing in 2015 because 1) I took basically no pictures to commemorate the event and 2) it was very low-key.  I ultimately decided I would because for this date-obsessed Mama ushering in a New Year is a very sentimental thing.  In the days leading up to it I look back on the year and where it's taken me and those around me.  This always results in a rush of warm, sappy emotions for yours truly which I celebrate by sending a series of reflective texts to Ryan.  As a man who doesn't emote well, he's not a big fan of this holiday for this reason.  We both know this won't stop me though as it happens each year like clockwork.

As I found myself reflecting upon all that 2014 brought, I couldn't help but feel incredibly, incredibly thankful.  I say that each year, but this year I say it with tears of gratitude in my eyes. As I've stated many times, I am a planner by nature.  When I sat in the same familiar, introspective place on December 31, 2013, I not only looked at what I had been blessed with (EMERY!) but I mulled over what I thought 2014 held in store for us.  Being a family of four by the time the sands ran out on 2014 wasn't exactly my plan.  Normally when my plans go awry I become a level of cranky that would make Oscar the Grouch look like Miss Congeniality.  This year though I can't iterate enough how genuinely thankful I was to be wrong.  It was a perfectly, divinely-timed lesson that I don't need to be in charge all the time.  I can't control everything, and that's a good thing because someone else is far better at it than I am.

This leads into my pseudo-resolution for 2015 - to let go of the reins and to just enjoy, to take what comes and try to truly appreciate every moment I'm given.  As I sit here with a beautiful, wiggly baby on my lap I think back to when my nearly 2 year old was that baby.  It feels like only yesterday, but when I go collect her from school in a few minutes and she RUNS over to me YELLING about her "ki-chun" (which is absolutely how it will go), it will remind me that it wasn't yesterday.  It was a lot of yesterdays ago.  A lot of yesterdays that disappeared way too quickly.  So for 2015 I resolve to enjoy more, trust more, and cuddle my babies more.  I also resolve to control less, worry less and plan-by-the-minute less.

I did a good job of enacting this resolution through our New Years plans.  We did basically zero planning and as a result were priviledged to enjoy the company of my parents and my brother to ring in 2015.  Ryan and I got to watch the ball drop from the comfort of our own home, with a glass of champagne in hand, surrounded by people we love.  As an added bonus, my Dad and Ryan replaced some outdated lights upstairs and on the staircase with recessed lighting.  Because I was busy living in the moment (read: chasing children and chatting with my Mom), I took zero before pictures .  I'll hit you with some afters in another post later.  I even got to flex my don't-worry muscle as multiple holes were cut in dry wall and I totally didn't even break a sweat.  So my ability to stick to this resolution is looking gooood.  ;c)  Mucho, mucho thanks to my parents for sharing their holiday with us AND helping with some house renovations in the process.  I really can't imagine where we would be without you!

I hope that you all experienced just as much joy in 2014 as we did, and that you're looking forward to all 2015 holds as much as we are.  Happy New Year kids!

Emery was beyond pumped to have her Nonnie, Pawpaw and "Mott," over.  She was so amped up that she crashed on her Daddy.  Anyone who knows Emery knows how incredibly shocking and touching this is.

This one, on the other hand, really wanted to see what this whole New Years celebration was all about.  Here she is pictured just after midnight.  Wide awake.  Not looking impressed.

Turning 29. Again.

Welllllll, despite my best efforts to halt time- another year has come and gone.  Shockingly Father Time has zero interest in catering to me.  RUDE.  So on October 4th I turned yet another year wiser.  Le sigh.

Coming off the heels of such a spectacular birthday/gender reveal combination last year, I really didn't expect to even bat an eyelash at this year.  This theory was only further bolstered by the fact Ryan worked nights the day of my birthday and nearly everyone I knew already had commitments.  Husband dearest and a handful of our sweet friends had other plans.

On very short notice Ryan invited a few folks over and they all acquiesced despite, I'm sure, having more exciting things to do than watch me wallow in my old-age pity.  Jonathan/Melanie, Austin/Shawna, Julie/David & Jimmer/Beth all came by on Saturday September 28th to help me ring in a new year of me.  I couldn't be more grateful that they did, because I had a great time.

As with most events in this group of folks, things went the way of an 8th grade dance within 5 minutes of everyone's arrival.  The female contingent milled around in the kitchen playing would you rather and trading crazy celeb gossip while the men took up station on the couch while grunting and scratching themselves.  Basically it was sheer heaven for both groups.

I just want to thank everyone who dropped what they had going on to come watch (or watch men watch) football and hang out with me.  I don't know what I did so right to deserve you as friends, but I'll take it.  Thank you also to Baby Daddy who planned, cleaned and cooked some mean fajitas for the event.  I enjoyed it so thoroughly I'll consider turning another year older next year at this time.  I'm just considering, so let's not get ahead of ourselves!

Mama Mel holding Baby McClain's (ETA: January 2014) BFF.

Mel, Jules & Shawna hashing out the details of LiLo's most recent arrest.  Hard hitting stuff, guys.

Beer.  Football.  Bareback bronc riding.  This picture just wreaks of dude.

No Mom, I PROMISE I"ll never turn into a smelly, belchy, scratchy guy like those ones out there.  I promise.  Now, let's talk cookies, huh?

The boogs and I.  Is she watching football?!

Were you concerned they may have moved?  Don't worry.  Got ya covered.  It's like a flip book Nanny Cam.

Aunt Shawna, Aunt Shawna... check out my runway walk.

How does Miss Jay do this in heels?!

Ever questioned my claims that she's a total Daddy's girl?  I submit to you article of evidence A.

Trying squash for the first time.  Which happens to be the first veggie she has seemed to tolerate.  Probably the ambience that made it such a success.

Okay Mom... I was real patient but it's like the 4th quarter now.  Can we put a little pep in our step here?

Sweet Baby Harper!  Em & Baby McClain's other BFF.  It was a regular baby slumber party!

Harper giving me some birthday love.

Delish birthday cookies.

Cookie toasts are the new champagne toasts?

Mom, Mom- look, I got her!  What was my roping time?

Adorable puppy kisses.

Melanie this is a glimpse into your life for the next 15 years.

Definitely expecting a parenting book deal annnnny day now.  Potential cover photo?

Because, like I mentioned above, I somehow accidentally fell into relationships that I am less than deserving of, the birthday spoiling didn't end with the fiesta above.  On my actual birthday, a Friday this year, I was greeted with some delicious cupcakes, cube decor, scones and my beloved Starbucks coffee as soon as I walked in the door.  I really am so incredibly appreciative to work with co-workers who are not only brilliant, but also warm and considerate as well.  So many, many thanks to everyone who decorated my space, kept my belly full and just generally kept a smile on my face all day long.  You are the best!

Accountants are not as good at geometry as Engineers.

Green bags, warm scones and cold coffee... these are a few of my favorite things.

This birthday banner and these eternal mylar balloons might be the best investments that the Finance/GL departments have ever made.

After all this heart-filling goodness, I headed up to the lake with the girls to hang out with my parents.  Knowing me as well as they do, they were on board with ordering Chinese to the house for my birthday dinner.  Thank heavens they did because little did we know that it would be the last meal for any of us for about 48 hours!  I won't go into all the details because it's just not required, but suffice it to say that Miss Emery shared the bubonic plague a vicious stomach virus with Ryan (man down Friday night around 9), yours truly (woman down Saturday morning around 6), Nonnie (woman down around Sunday morning around 4) and Grandpa (man down around noon on Sunday).  Luckily we all survived and were lucky enough to share Em duties, and more than our fair share of laughs, over the course of the weekend.  Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom & Dad for helping me get through the weekend- I could NOT have done it without you.

Despite the very virus-y end, I had an absolutely wonderful birthday celebrated with the people who make my world go round.  So thank you from the very bottom of my heart to each and every one of you for helping make 29 (again) seem not so bad after all.  I love you!