Sneak Peak: Home Improvement #2...

Before... (guest bathroom sink)

After...

New TP holder!

New towel rack!

...Stay tuned to Home Improvement #2 for tomorrow!

Home Improvement #1...

Before...

During...

After...

Last week Greg did a lot of painting!! In January, we sat down and wrote a list of all of the home improvements we wanted to make in 2010. One of the top on our list was replacing all the doorknobs in the house (we didn't like the brass, especially since we changed all of our light fixtures when we moved in to the brushed bronze). As we were writing out our lists/budget, we saw that it was going to cost over $400 to replace everything! So...Trisha and Carlton came to the rescue by sharing they're technique fore replacing doorknobs...painting them! We are SOOO glad because instead of spending $400 we spent about $16!!! And they look GREAT! We are so happy with them and Greg did such a wonderful job!

Craft of the day...

Next weekend is my friend's baby shower, and I wanted to give her something that had some thought in it. Well, for Christmas I gave Katie a similar board that I did not paint, but thought it was really cute and looked easy to do. Then I found out that one of my friends from my TOSS group, paints and sells these tiles. After looking through a couple of her boards, I knew I wanted to give it a try! It's just a ceiling tile that I have painted, and you can use it as a picture board/cork board for all the new baby pictures =) I thought this was a super cute idea!!


**These are the baby Ryan's nursery colors...I didn't just pick random colors lol

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...

Make a Smilebox photo slideshow

This weekend my INCREDIBLE husband and Jeremy surprised me and Joy with an awesome weekend in the Blue Ridge mountains! They planned EVERYTHING and kept it all a surprise (although, Greg did tell me we were going to the mountains, just not where, because of my hectic schedule). Our husbands were SO stinkin sweet! On Friday, we all met at Longhorn's in Ellijay for dinner, where the boys told us the plan for the weekend. They said that they've planned this for a while and that the whole purpose of the weekend was for us to relax and not lift a finger. They prepared every meal for us and cleaned up everything! It was awesome! When we got to the cabin we checked it out before heading down to the game room for some pool, air hockey and foosball. Greg also packed the Wii for a few basketball competitions =) The cabin was so beautiful! The owners had thought of everything and had board games and TONS of DVD's and video games. Saturday morning, we woke up and me and Joy sat out on the deck wrapped up in blankets in the rockers drinking our coffee and hot chocolate (Joy's 8 months pregnant), while the men prepared a delicious breakfast. We had pancakes, eggs, and bacon...so good! After stuffing ourselves, we all laid around on the couch and watched a movie. We played downstairs in the game room a bit before a late lunch of deli sandwiches and chips, which the guys made and served to us =) We all hung out and talked for a while and just spent the entire day doing nothing and relaxing...it.was.perfect! For dinner the guys went all out! They made grilled teryaki poppyseed chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, and mac-n-cheese! There was cheesecake for dessert but we were all too stuffed from dinner to eat any! After letting our food settle and playing a few rounds of pool, the guys built a wonderful fire for us to sit around and talk and make s'mores! It was a perfect ending to a perfect weekend! This was EXACTLY what I needed and I am SOO incredibly blessed to have a husband that loves me enough to plan such a special weekend where I didn't have to worry about a THING, with such wonderful friends. Thank you so much Greg and Jeremy, I'm sure I speak for both me and Joy when I say that we couldn't have asked for a better surprise!!

A belated Happy Valentine...

Greg and I had a wonderfully relaxing Valentine's Day on Sunday! We spent the day in our pj's and just lounged around together. For dinner I made chicken parmesan, caesar salad, and molten chocolate lava cakes (sooo yummy)! After dinner we watched The Time Traveler's Wife which was OMG depressing!!! Good...but left me a total wreck. It was so nice to have a day to unwind together! There is no other person I could ever want to call my Valentine, he is so incredible! And since I'm mushy all the time...that's all I'll say! Now I am off to work on some homework =)

Winter wonderland...

Today was SO much fun! It started with taking the girls to Southern Prep (pics later) and meeting up with Kari and the kids for a little play time then lunch at CFA. After lunch it had just begun to snow and I took the girls back to our house for naps (Karis was having her room painted today). After nap time it looked like this outside...

Adorable =)

So cute =)

We had so much fun playing outside in some of the prettiest snow I've ever seen..so light and fluffy =) Karis was absolutely loving it! Laurel was a little unsure at first...but she liked looking at it from a distance! I had so much fun watching Karis run around a be her goofy, cute self and be so incredibly full of excitement! When Greg got home, we came inside and dried off and warmed up by baking some cookies. We decorated them a little and then enjoyed our snack! It was just a fantastic day...I CANNOT WAIT TO HAVE KIDS....but we are....and that's ok haha! Because for now, I just get to borrow these two cuties and the nieces and nephew for a while, and then give them back =)

The cookie decorator
Greg, excited about the cookie Karis decorated for him...Laurel, really contemplating how to take the cookie =)

Birthday weekend...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This weekend we ended the birthday celebrations with having my family come up to spend some time with us! Thursday night after my group meeting, I got a surprise at the door...MY BROTHER! I knew that my parents were coming up, but my brother and Kari and the kids came to surprise me! How fun! They stayed at Kari's sister's house while my parents stayed here. My mom and dad got into town around 2 on Friday and we just hung out until Greg got home. That night, they took us out to Henry's (yum) for my birthday dinner and then we came back to play the Wii! It was a great night out. Saturday morning (my actual bday), I woke up and made some delicious Monkey Bread for breakfast...oh so good. Greg slept in while my Dad and Andy went to Harry's Fresh Market to get groceries for the dinner Andy was planning on cooking for me. Me and mom headed over to spend some time with Kari and the kids and then Kristen took me and Kari out for lunch at a yummy Cuban restaurant in Atlanta. Saturday night Andy put his culinary skills to work and made us a FANTASTIC meal! Everything was SOOOO indescribably delicious! Even the menu makes my mouth water:

-Bone-in chicken stuffed with Shropshire cheddar, onions, apple, fennel, and garlic, wrapped in black forest, dry-rubbed bacon
-Ragu made with onion, apple, fennel, oregano, thyme, and sage (SOOOOO good)
- White cheddar and manchego risotto (phenomenal)
-Roasted asparagus and onions drizzled with a blood-orange balsamic vinagarette glaze
- Brioche rolls w/ extra love (aka a LOT of butter)!
-And for dessert..chocolate mud cake =)

So. stinkin. good. He went all out and I appreciated it SO much! After eating a sinful amount, we all played "Things" until almost 1 AM!!! I was EXHAUSTED (you all know I don't stay out late lol)! We has such an incredible time with everyone! It was so great visiting with everybody and I am looking forward to spending some more time with Kari and the kids this week!

Thank you to everyone for making this birthday so fantastic! I love you all =)

Proud to announce (finally)...

WE'RE GOING TO BE AN AUNT AND UNCLE AGAIN!!!

(pic from Kt's blog)

At Greg's Birthday a couple of weeks ago, The Joneses shared the news of adding a new tiny person to their family! We are SOOO thrilled for them and I am SOOO glad because I need a newborn fix (without having my own, of course)! We absolutely LOVE being an aunt and uncle and are so happy to become one x4! I can't wait to find out whether we'll have a new nephew or niece!

CONGRATULATIONS KATIE, SAUNDERS, AND KATIE ANNE!!!

It's a hard job...

...but someone's gotta do it!!

This week was so much fun with the girls! Since I have all day with them on Wednesdays, I really like to get them out of the house and do something fun. Usually it's library time or to the park or Monkey Joes...but Angie suggested this AWESOME place, Southern Prep Academy. It was SO neat! It's like a huge gymnastics gym for pre-schoolers and then there is a large room for babies and kids under two! We had such a great time playing there! Included in the slide-show are pictures from our picnic at the park from Monday. It was such a beautiful day! I had such a great time this week...what in the WORLD am I going to do without these girls?!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My 22nd: Round DOS...

Make a Smilebox greeting

Last night Greg took me out to celebrate my birthday since my family is going to be in town this weekend! He had already given me my new phone, but re-wrapped it so I would have something to open and he took me shoe shopping for a couple of pairs of comfy "teacher" shoes! After shopping we went to dinner at The Melting Pot...MMMmmmm!!! It was SOOO good, but I ate a ridiculous amount of food! But man...it was worth every bite =) We had such a wonderful time together and I loved celebrating my birthday with my incredible husband! Thanks so much love =)

My 22nd/ Princess Party...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This past Saturday we celebrated my 22nd birthday a week early with the Glawson/Jones family! It was SO much fun! Katie Anne has chosen themes for all of our birthdays and I have to say...mine is probably the best and the most appropriately picked! A PRINCESS PARTY!! She's too cute! We all made a sweet craft (hehe) using sugar cubes, candy, coconut, icing, and graham crackers to make castles/houses. So fun! Then we ate a FANTASTICO Mexican feast made by Cindy! SOO good! After dinner was one of my favorites, homemade banana pudding...Mmmm! Then on to presents! Cindy and Thomas gave me the sweetest card and two awesome gift cards to Kohls and Belk (where I scored some AMAZING deals btw)! The Jones family gave be three beautiful dress shirts that I can wear for TOSS/Student Teaching, which i desperately needed!! After all the food and gifts, we headed to the living room for chatting and Wii. This was a such a great party and a fun way to kick off the birthday celebrations!!

Thank you so much for everything guys!!