On the Road Again

Today we went to the RV show at the Expo center and found lots of trailers we couldn't even begin to afford. Some of the motorhomes there cost more than our house. We did find some within our price range that we might be able to afford in the future. My favorite were the tear drop vintage-inspired trailers. After seeing all of these neat trailers, Brannon came home and took a look on KSL to see if he could find some better deals...well he found some. I said "No! You're Kidding! That's hideous! Gross! and Heck No!" to all of them. Let me present to you:

The Volkswagon Vanagon...shag carpet included.

"The Beast," self-proclaimed (note at the top of the camper)

The 1984 Toyota Dolphin, Brannon's favorite...I'm not even kidding.

Saving the best for last, the 1957 model Jeep motorhome. Supposedly, it still runs.

Traveling Season

Every spring and summer is traveling season for Brannon. When the cold weather stops, the flow of propane slows and it is time for his to visit his customers in Washington and Oregon and make contracts for the following winter. He's only gone about four weeks out of this "season," but it's still hard to have him gone and to be alone with a one-and-a-half-year old. His trips really do make us appreciate each other more. Lately I've been trying to focus on living each day the best that I can and each day I fall short of that, but the point for me is that I focus on the decisions I make today and focus on loving and enjoying my family and friends. After watching so many news stories and reading countless blogs, I've come to realize how fragile life really is. Things can change in a second and our lives could be changed forever, for better or worse. Brannon and I both try to make a point to tell each other that we love each other because you really don't know when the last time will be that you will see the ones you love. Before Brannon left for his trip this week, he left this on the counter for me: Brannon knows that I love Jim Shore figurines and he said that this one reminded him of me.

These are the flowers that he got me for Valentine's Day. I love flowers and I don't get them very often, so these were a special treat to me. I especially love the vase. He order these online from Flower Patch. They have the cutest vases and the flowers always arrive in perfect condition. I love them!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year I decided to make Brannon's card. I don't know why I don't do this more often. They're cheaper and a lot cuter, plus much more sentimental. Don't judge this card too harshly, it's my first valentine's card and I used what I had, so it was free! Oh and I had to use tape because I didn't have any glue...just had to improvise:)

You can see that his mouth is full...that's an oreo in there. Taj has reverted back to shoving whole cookies and crackers in his mouth. He almost always gags and sometimes pukes. He's been watching his dad eat. I'm coaching both of them to chew their food before they swallow and to take smaller bites;)

This is my grandma...how cute are those glasses? I told her she was definitely up-to-date with the latest trends in eyewear. She came up to check out our new house with my family a couple weeks ago. It was her 64th birthday. Yep, she's 64 and still going strong:) Don't let her small size fool you. She intimidates the inmates at the local prison she works at. One time I didn't believe she could take me down and all of a sudden my arm was being wrenched up behind my back and Iwas on the floor...I guess that's what they do to get criminals under control. It works! We love Grandma Martha!

My friends Audrey, Jackie, and I get together every time Jackie comes into town. We always meet at Cafe Rio; there's something there for everyone! Who doesn't love it? We usually try to take a picture every time too because our kids grow so fast. We always have so much fun. We always gab for about two hours or sooner, whenever the kids start freaking out. Nap time is not something that can be ignored:) It's so nice to stay in touch with old friends and remember the good times!

First run in the backyard

Taj's wobbly foot prints in the snow...it was the first time he walked by himself in the snow. For some reason he's really intimidated by it, but he does like the "crunch" noise it makes.

Taj had a little help the first time through the snow in our backyard.

Can anyone else see the face in our walnut tree? How cool is that!

I take no responsibility for this outfit. This is what happens when daddy gets him ready: Black coat, navy blue pants, and brown snow boots.

More Before & After Pics

My favorite doorknob in the house...

authentic crystal, so cool!

This is the lightswitch cover in our bedroom. I chose to leave it because it's so vintage. Never mind the dust you can see, that just adds to the authenticity right?

Entry way before

Entry way after....

This was the "blue room." Everything was blue: the door, the baseboards, the walls, the ceiling and even the blinds were spray painted blue. It was like standing in an aquarium.

Office after...the next thing to go is that ugly red chair

Taj's room was blue room #2. It wasn't as overpowering as the office, but I think that's just because this room is smaller.

I like this color so much better than the blue. I know the light fixture looks like it has tentacles, but they're really crystals. Yeah, I know, a little girly for a boy's room, but Taj doesn't know the difference and I'm sure it won't threaten his boyhood.

Even our bedroom had wallpaper in it, so glad to see that gone!

I know this looks really green. It was supposed to be a sage green, but turned out to be "safari" green. Boy were we surprised. Bran was freaking out more about it than I was. He didn't want to paint our bedroom this color; he tried to pawn it off on Taj's room. I like bold colors though, and it's really not so bad, kinda grows on you. That light fixture will also be coming down, as soon as we recover from the costs of this paint job!