Starting My List Of Projects!

I'm trying to decide if I want to start off with my "whoa is me" story. It really is a story that will make you feel sorry for me...not to sound like I need pity...but this story deserves pity. Is pity even the right word to describe it. Now I wish I had one of my made up words to describe it. OK, since I can't find the right word, I'll add my "whoa is me" story at the end.

Do you know what next week is? Yes, April Fool's Day. I have a good prank to play on someone. Sorry Shannon, you are probably going to be my victim. You are warned. But, 2 things happen next week. April 1st is our ONE year anniversary of closing on our house and moving in! I have lived here the whole year, Jason on the other hand, since he was away training in Oklahoma when we bought the house, did not get to participate in that fun. So technically with him being gone then and now the deployment...he's only lived here 5 months out of the 12. Wow, that sounds like a "whoa is me" story, but I promise it's not! I've had a relatively good time making this a home all on my own.

Second big deal for next week...we will OFFICIALLY be able to say JASON WILL BE HOME NEXT MONTH! I know I am jumping ahead of myself because it is still March! But not for long! If my blinds were not open right now, I would be jumping up and down on the couch!

Now, this leads me into my next talking point. ha. Since Jason has been gone, I have been making a list of projects I want to get done before he gets home. I intentionally did not do them so that I had something to fill the last 2 months of the deployment. My first project on the list, redo the man cave for Jason. It is the only room in the house that really has never been touched. The bookshelves were the cheapest wal-mart ones, he does not have a computer desk nor a TV stand. He used to sit in his recliner and pull up a little white table with his computer on it. If you wanted to walk into the man cave, you had to jump over all the cords. I can't tell you how many times Layla couldn't get her leg up high enough and the computer monitor came crashing down! Along with Layla.

And to be honest, the girls have taken it over since Jason has been gone. So, I want to make it into a nice area for him. I can't believe I'm going to add pictures of it in the condition it's in...but I need help. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to rearrange it or even how to put a desk and TV console. Also, I need ideas on where to get those. Everyone keeps saying Ikea...but to me, the drive isn't worth it. And to ship their items costs up to wazoo! I want to mount his surfboards as well, so that they aren't just sitting in a corner. Obviously, he will be using them when he comes home...so I need some kind of Hooks? or shelving? See, I need help!

The view to the left as you walk in. The cheap futon has turned into a trampoline.

And the view to the right. See how ridiculous this looks!

And the view towards the hallway...

The girls snuck their their way in! There are no doors...it's supposed to be an office. I want to do french doors, but obviously, I can not do that myself! I don't think Jason could either. But I would rather not hire a contractor while I am alone!

The color I am going to paint. Jason picked it out before he left. It's the middle color, Pacific Coast. Fitting!

I'm not going to have such a tough time painting, as I am taping! The ceilings are 14ft!

So, ideas on a desk and TV console would be great! The futon will be going into the garage, the elliptical is going to have to stay, so I need to figure out where that fits as well. I for sure see this project taking up the entire 2 weeks Ava has for spring break!

Guess what! I or should I say, we, cooked dinner tonight! YAY. This past week was just crazy with Nat and Matt here and me being sick. It was nice to make a meal again! It's a cloudy, cold, dreary day...so we made Baked Potato Soup.

I didn't think the girls would be able to help that much since it was soup, but surprisingly, I found quite a bit for them to do!

CAUGHT! Eating a piece of bacon!

Now they have to work to earn the piece of bacon they stole! Scooping potato out of the baked potato. That doesn't sound politically correct!

And then Ava decided she would much rather eat the scraps of potato on the counter than help!

Then they got upset that I wouldn't let them have more bacon after working so hard. Ha.

So then I let them at least touch the bacon! They helped break it into pieces and added it to the soup.

Then Ava got mad because I gave the last piece to Stella and not her! That kid and bacon, I swear!

I let them both add a spoonful of sour cream...

Then, Ava "called" adding the cheese!

Dinner! Yum!

Now, for my "whoa is me" story.


A month ago, Jason mailed me a letter with a memory card in it so the girls and I could see him! This was before we got to see him on Skype. So we have literally been racing to the mailbox everyday to see if it was here. It came yesterday. With a tiny slit in the side and the memory card was gone. Not like it accidentally got ripped and the memory card fell out. This was a clean slit on the side of the envelope, just big enough for the memory card to be taken out.

It broke my heart. When I saw the envelope, I knew it was finally here. And then to take it out of the mailbox and realize it had been stolen...I cried then and there. So, so not fair. The girls have even been expecting it and ask all the time if I have gotten the pictures Daddy sent yet.

So yes, pity is the word I was looking for, I am having a pity party for myself because of this. It does help that we have been able to see him on Skype twice now. But, if this would have happened and we hadn't seen him on Skype...I don't even want to think about how much more upset I would be. So, yes, I am so thankful that we have gotten to see him for the first time in the last week. It makes up a little for that thing being stolen. And yes, both Jason and I are positive it was stolen.