Ben's Christmas Present

When I went on bedrest, I was pretty bummed that I wouldn' t be able to finish the nursery and especially the closet. Well, Ben took it upon himself to finish it for me. He cut and installed the boards into the closet.

Then when I got off bedrest, I painted the primer on and some of the white and blue paint. On Christmas Eve, Ben finished the rest of the blue paint and the closet became one of my Christmas presents. It wasn't until a few days later that we actually got all the painter's tape off of it, the plastic off the floor, and everything cleaned out and vacuumed, but here is the finished product:

We have spent the last few days cleaning and moving stuff into the baby's room. It is starting to feel more homey, although there is still a lot to do.

Wesley is Born!

Head on over to the Texas Terrors blog to see pictures of little Wesley, our new little Texas Terror!

New Decorations

Every Christmas, Ben and try to invest in one additional Christmas decoration. This year we bought a wreath at Hobby Lobby. It was 50 percent off and I bought some ribbon, made a bow, and decorated it. I must say, I am pleased with how it turned out-- I wouldn't be posting it if I didn't like it. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all of you.

New Moon Spoof

A friend of mine posted this link on her Facebook. For those who have seen New Moon or read the book, it is really funny. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

http://www.ericdsnider.com/

Nursery Website

Since I was put on bedrest, I haven't been able to do anything with Wesley's nursery. :( Boo hoo! I still have grand plans for it that have yet to be realized. One of those plans includes lower case cutesy letters to spell out his name like the ones above. I found this adorable website called Rosenberry Rooms that has tons of different styles of letters for this very purpose. I thought I would share it just in case someone out there thinks they are as cute as I do.

More Firedragon

This morning I went outside and found that nearly all the leaves on the Firedragon have turned a nice shade of red. I am really enjoying the beautiful fall color that this tree has added to our front yard.

Sunset Firedragon

Here are some pictures I took of the Firedragon Maple at sunset. I thought the warm tones of the setting sun really set off the color nicely.

Perspective

More than anything else, what I get out of church each week is perspective. During the week I am so focused on meals, bills, cleaning, and other day to day tasks that there is little time for anything else. The rest of the time, I am sad to say, I find myself thinking about how nice it will be when Layne is finally potty trained, and Ben has started getting checks from his new job, and I am no longer huge and pregnant. When I go to church, I start out feeling mostly the same as usual, but by the time I have gotten about half way through Sacrament Meeting, I start remembering the big picture.

I start asking myself questions. What is my relationship with the Savior? How are things with the kids? Am I so consumed with day to day responsibilities and day dreams about the future that they are growing up without knowing how much they really mean to me? Are the cares of the world choking out the seeds of truth that God plants in my mind on a daily basis?

I had the rare opportunity to rock my little three year old to sleep today after church. He couldn't relax at first. He was wiggly and not wanting to settle down, but before long, his breathing slowed and his blue eyes closed. It is always when they are asleep that I remember how sweet and innocent they really are. It seems that the palor of heaven is on their cheeks and the mind is drawn to the source from which we all came.

I am so grateful to the Savior for his atoning sacrifice that will make it possible for all of us to become like these little children again; beautiful, sinless, innocent, humble, and pure. That the aging process that corrupts our bodies and souls will not, in the end, have the last word, is the true miracle of the atonement.

Colors of Fall

The Corner Garden is still looking a bit neglected, but is starting to show off the beautiful colors of fall. The Firedragon Maple tree in our front yard is turning a really brilliant red that you can see all the way down the street. Last year we didn't get color anywhere near this great from our little Firedragon so I am glad it has redeemed itself.

The red-tips in the backyard have hit a growth spurt and have some beautiful red foliage. They look quite overgrown and in need of a trim, but I can't bring myself to cut off the beautiful red. Maybe in a month or so. . .

Begonias are quickly becoming one of my favorite flowers. I love the dark leaves and beautiful red flowers on these ones that I planted in the spring. They are still going strong and even though I know they will die with the frost I am enjoying them very much.

Border Mural Started

I started my sketching my border mural on Saturday and started painting it on Monday. It is so exciting that it is turning out so well because I designed and drew it all by myself with the bedding set for my inspiration. I am making pretty good progress. Eventually all the white space will be filled with either blocks of color, or tractors etc. The trim is up and painted, but I still need to touch up the green and brown wall paint. It will be quite a long project because I have another wall to do as well. I might even have to finish it up after little Wesley is born. That is okay. I am enjoying every minute of it!

Nesting

If you hadn't noticed, nesting has been a big part of my pregnancy this time around. Ben mentioned the other day that he didn't remember me being quite so obsessive about my nesting as I am with this baby. I reminded him that we had never had our own house before and this is the first time I can make the nursery exactly as I want it. Yes, I am a bit obsessive.

One of the big plans for this nursery was the closet. I want a fabulous closet with cubbies, shelves, and bins that not only function well, but are cute and stylish. In a bold move, I decided to paint the closet blue. I got the idea from a closet book I bought at Home Depot and I knew I would either love it or hate it. It took a couple of tries, but I got the right color in the end. It has taken a couple of days to really get used to it, but now I love it. I can't wait to put in the rest of the shelving!

I bought some bins at Michaels for 40% off. Tonight I washed all the little Newborn and Preemie clothes and put them in their respective bins. I plan to buy more bins, but I have to pace myself. They aren't cheap even at 40% off. Unfortunately, many of the clothes I washed have breastmilk stains that didn't come out. Anyone have any suggestions on that?

Answer to Harry Reid

For those of you who missed it, it has been reported that Senator Harry Reid has come out against the church in its support of Proposition 8 in California. (FYI Harry Reid is LDS and the Senate Majority Leader.) He called the efforts of the church and its members "a waste of resources and good will." He also voiced the opinion that it is harmful for the church to focus on such a divisive issue.

Assuming that the reports are true, this is a very serious thing. Senator Reid has just spit in the face of the all of the LDS people in California and across the U.S. that donated time, resources, and money in an effort to try and stem the tide of moral degradation and defend the sanctity of marriage and the family. These people, especially those in California, have suffered much persecution for standing up for the right and he has insulted them. Why would he do this?

In answer to the Senator's purported assertions, I say, shame on you! First of all, the issue is not even your business. The Proposition was in California and you are a Nevada senator. You have no obligation to comment on the issue one way or the other so why not keep your mouth shut about it?

Second, why exactly is it wrong for the church to focus on a divisive issue? Isn't the opposite true? Isn't it more important for us to stand for the truth when there are lies, confusion, and division surrounding it? Senator Reid, would you have the church of God stand quietly by as the innocent and the confused are dragged into the mire of sin and hell by the wicked who seek to persuade them that a homosexual lifestyle is the path to self-esteem and sexual fulfillment?

Third, Senator, isn't it more reasonable to consider that the church's courageous stand on the issue merely emphasizes your own cowardice in being unwilling to take an equally unpopular stand? As a politician, rather than take a stand on controversial issues, you seek instead to pretend that the country is not drowning in an ocean of moral decay, that the family is not under attack, and that all is well except for the fact that a bunch of well meaning religious zealots are making waves.

I sincerely hope that the reports are not true, and that Harry Reid is not so foolish as to publicly come out against the church. If so, his prospects are not good. Stephen A. Douglas learned his lesson about speaking against the church. The prophet Joseph Smith prophecied to him,

Judge, you will aspire to the presidency of the United States; and if ever you turn your hand against me or the Latter-day Saints, you will feel the weight of the hand of Almighty upon you; and you will live to see and know that I have testified the truth to you; for the conversation of this day will stick to you through life.

Later, when Douglas did turn his hand against the church, he lost the presidency to Abraham Lincoln and he never won an election after that. Take warning Senator, the Church of God doesn't make mistakes and criticizing church policies and doctrines puts you fighting against what is right and true. Is that where you want to be? Now is the time to decide.

Plaster Skim Coat

In order to paint the mural I am planning to make, I need a smooth surface rather than the rough texture we have on our walls. Thankfully, Ben is so talented at doing plaster skim coats. We taped off the area we wanted smooth and then Ben did the skim coat. It took two layers and a little sanding, but we now have a beautiful smooth layer of plaster. I will need to paint it with some primer, put the wall trim in place, and then I can start painting the mural.

Just to keep you updated, we finished the crown moulding and the ceiling trim. We are getting ready to paint the closet and put up the trim on the walls around the border.

Moonstone Roses

I felt like my Moonstone rosebush needed it's very own post. I have been so pleased with my two Moonstone Rosebuses. Of all of my bushes the Moonstone produces the most roses with the best form. At this time of the year they are the most beautiful with a lovely pink blush in the center. FYI I purchased the Moonstone rosebushes online from Home Depot. If you can't find it on their site it is also sold on the Dutch Gardens Website. It only ships in the spring.

The Neglected Garden

Since Ben was laid off last Spring, I got pregnant, I started working part-time, and I started Wesley's bedroom project, my poor garden has suffered neglect this year. In spite of that, it has done remarkably well. If you can look past the weed infested flowerbeds (the weeds are dead, but they are still ugly.) and see the flowers, it is really quite lovely. Next year I plan to do some great improvements and post pictures for you to enjoy. Until then, here are some pictures of my neglected plants.

My beautiful Ebb Tide rosebush that Ben bought for me for Valentines Day has tripled in size this year in spite of only getting a few root stimulating treatments and sporatic fertilization. It has the best smelling blossoms in the garden.
Mystic Blue Spires Salvia has been a real showstopper. It has produced beautiful spikes of blue flowers all summer, and fall. At times it has gotten so large it falls over but it still looks good.
I only bought a few verbena plants this year. All the vinca plants are volunteers from last year's plants. This fence-side flower garden has become one of the most beautiful gardens on the property.

My big pink rosebush is taller than Ben right now. Unfortunately the bush looks awful. We have had record amounts of rain in the last month and a half and black-spot has really hit this plant hard. In spite of that it is still producing incredible blossoms. All five of these blossoms are on one cane!
This year has been a tough one for my hibiscus. Two plants are doing well this year. This red bush is incredibly resilient and has produced amazing blossoms in spite of being neglected. My beautiful High Voltage hibiscus that was a gift from Ben from Hidden Valley Hibiscus appears to be dead. It is completely defoliated and has been for months now. That makes me so sad but at least I have some great pictures.

Here is a picture of the rose garden. I am so pleased with my roses. I come out about once a week and cut a few roses from every plant and they fill the kitchen with the smell of roses. It is wonderful! They are all badly in need of a pruning but they are still lovely.

Crown Moulding

We started working on the crown moulding today while Ben was home. We finished the ceiling trim, which ended up looking really nice and just how I pictured it, so I was pleased. We had to buy a book about trim to help us out with the crown moulding because it is seriously complicated. In case you have ever had a desire to do crown moulding yourself I decided to make this post into a kind of rough tutorial.

First, we marked all the studs and ceiling joists onto the wall and ceiling so we would know where to nail our brads. (We used a stud finder.) Then we placed the crown moulding onto the miter saw upside down and at the same angle as it would be when it was on the wall. Next we marked the saw table and fence with a pencil so we would be able to place it the same way every time. We measured the distance from table to fence to find out how far down the wall the crown moulding would go.

Finally Ben cut a piece of trim at the exact length we had measured on the fence to use as our "witness," which is a woodworking term for a board cut to a certain length and used to mark the bottom line where crown moulding goes.

Here is Ben with the witness marking the place where the bottom of the moulding should go.

Then we got to measure and cut our first length of moulding. We had to place the moulding onto the saw upside down and on the angle just like before using the marks we made as our guide. We made straight square cuts on both ends and put the crown moulding up and nailed it to our marked ceiling joists and studs. That part went really easily. The second piece is harder.

Here are Ben and Devin making sure that the saw is square before making the first cut. It is kind of nerve wracking.

Ben is working the brad nailer attaching the first piece of crown moulding.

For the second piece we measured and cut square on both ends like before but this time we had to add a couple more steps. Because the crown moulding comes to the wall at an angle when you cut the second piece it has to be at an angle too. We had to mark the approximate angle of the moulding and then cut that angle with the miter saw.

This cut is more difficult because it is at an angle (about 45 degrees). Once that angle is cut you have to take a hand saw called a coping saw to cut the back of the moulding out so it will nest into the first piece. That is tedious but kind of fun and pretty when it is done.

Here is Ben with his newly cut 45 degree moulding piece getting ready to cope it.

Here is Ben with his saw coping the joint. You have to hold your saw at a 45 degree angle and cut only the back side of the trim. If you cut too deep and get the front of it it will ruin the cut and possibly the whole length of trim.

Our first joint had a pretty big gap at the top. It fit nicely at the bottom though. We are going to fill it with caulk so it won't look so bad hopefully. The second coped joint we did much better. We are also going to do a splice on one wall. Maybe we will get the whole room finished tonight!