My Baby

My baby is growing up on me and I can hardly stand it.  She has now lost four teeth.  I could deal with the bottom teeth, but today she lost the front tooth.  I am excited for her but so so so sad.  That, to me, is the end of babyhood.  Now we are entering the era of teeth that won't fit her face until she is in the 7th grade.  It breaks my heart that my baby's face is changing.  I wish I could turn back time and rock my newborn again, but I really do love seeing this sweet child of mine grow into a spunky little creature!  Oh my baby...

Greetings from... MINNESOTA!!! Finally!!!

Hello friends!  Thank you all for your sweet emails and messages as I have gone on this journey.  I am finally in Minnesota and we are settled in a townhouse for the next few weeks while they finish the basement in our new house.

I had a great visit with my best friend and so many other friends in the area!  It is nice to have a group of friends that you just pick right up with like no time has passed.

On Saturday, I headed out around 2 in the afternoon with every intention of driving 6 or 7 hours and then stopping at a hotel for the night.  The drive was so darn easy that I drove straight through!  It took me about 12 1/2 hours which seems like a long time, but was so darn easy that I just couldn't stop!! Jemma is such a trooper.  She talked my head off, watched movies, colored, and napped.  She was awesome.  It was so nice to be a family again and it allowed me to not have to drive on Mother's Day!

Mother's Day was awesome!  Jemma made me a sweet card and decorated a little terra cotta pot that I can't wait to put some flowers in!   Jemma and Tom also surprised me with this little something something...

Yes, my friends... that is a Louis Vuitton.  The real thing.  I was floored.

I am not normally a brand kind of person.  I shop at Walmart and Target.  I just don't need the expensive stuff, but I have always wanted a Louis Vuitton.  I love the smell of them.  I love the shape.  I love the monogram.  I have just always wanted one and my sweet sweet husband bought one for me.  He even said it was an investment as I tend to carry a purse forever.  Seriously.  I carry a purse I bought for $10 in Brazil in 1996.  I may trade the this Tivoli for a Palermo.  This sweet bag can really only be held by the handles or on your arm.  I am a shoulder slinging kind of gal so I may trade.  I don't know.  This is crazy, but it interfered with the BHW's and Jemma's hand holding while walking through the mall.  We are a hand holding kind of people!  I know I don't deserve a gift like this, but I am so lucky to have a man who spoils me when he can.  He said he knew how much this move was taking on me and he just wanted me to have it.   As much as I love this bag... I love my husband so much more and am so blessed to have this man in my life.  

We also ate at the Rainforest cafe.  Jemma loves it there and I wanted her to have a little something special since she was in a car for 12 1/2 hours!  We also rode The Fairly Odd Roller Coaster at the Nickolodean park in the Mall of America.  It was Jemma's first crazy roller coaster as it spins around.  She was so excited, but that quickly turned to absolute fear!  I didn't know if she was going to throw up or pass out.  Her little face was so petrified!  There was a slow spot in the ride and she said, "Is this ride almost over?" with this little pitiful voice.  Oh my poor baby!  We did get off and she said, "Let's do it again!".  She is so funny!!!!  

Soooo.... I am in Minnesota.  Time to explore!!!!

Greetings from Michigan!

Hello friends!  I am currently in Michigan visiting the BFFL!  We spent a great three days with my parents in Tennessee and then a quick one day visit with my MIL, SIL, nieces and nephew and then it was on to Michigan.  The BHW is now in Minnesota and will start his new job tomorrow!  I am excited for him!  I am visiting my favorite people and eating at my favorite places for a couple of days.  Jemma and I will then head to Minnesota!  I will hopefully be back in the blogging game soon!  I hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to catch up!

Ahhhh, The Beach...

Hello everyone!  We survived the move out of the house and spent a great week with my in-laws in Florida.  We are now at Kiawah Island in a condo 200 yards from the beach.  It is a tough life but someone has to do it!!  We had a going away party last night, a baby shower today, a paint party on Monday and going away dinner with our neighbors on Thursday.  Throughout all that, we are just hanging on the beach!  We all love it.  Murphy especially!  We have seen a spunky side to her that we haven't seen in a long time when we walk on the beach!  Have a great weekend!

This is heaven to me!!!  This one will be framed in my new house somewhere!!


Happy Sunday!!!

Good bye for a bit...

Hi everyone!  I hope this day finds you well!  It is a gorgeous day here in South Carolina and our last in our house.  As I type, I am sitting on the floor with my computer and keyboard in my lap.  We don't have much left in our house.  Beth from Dirty Laundry (who is an absolute hoot!  If you need a giggle, read her blog!)  emailed and asked me how it was going and I think I summed it up.

I am so sad to be leaving this sweet home, Charleston, the beach, my palm tree, and our dear friends.  I am ready for it to be done though and move on.  I am upset that I can't "settle" for another month and a half.

That is a lot of crazy emotion I am dealing with on top of turmoil in my family.  Why do people turn more cruel than ever after the death of a loved one?  Facebook and texting just aren't o.k. when you are dealing with family.   I am watching my family be torn apart and am so sickened and saddened by people's behaviors.  Pray for peace for my parents, if you can.  They need it.

We are headed to Florida tomorrow to visit the grandparents and have a little R&R.  It is always so relaxing there!  We need it!  Then it is back to Charleston for a couple of weeks, then to Tennessee to see my parents, and then... we head up north!  I am going to take a detour and visit my BFFL in Michigan before we head to Minnesota!  I can't wait!

I can't tell you how much I have appreciated all your sweet words during this move.  This one is really hard and I am so glad that no matter where I live, I will have all my blogging friends there to support me.  I have had two Minnesota bloggers reach out to me and knowing all of you are there is seriously what is making this a bit easier on me.  Thank you.

Have a great weekend and I will be back as soon as I can!!!

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!  I know we did.  It has really been the perfect weekend.  Gorgeous weather, great friends, hanging out, Matilda Jane shopping, kids playing, church, eating out, and and egg hunting!  Perfection!

Movie night with best buddy

Easter eggs!

The Easter Bunny arrived!

Let the hunt begin!

C found the golden egg!

I hope you had a blessed Easter!

First Floor

Hello all!  We hit the Mall of America today.  OH MY!!!!!  That place is humongous!!!  We only hit the bottom floor and Jemma said, "Let's go.  I am exhausted!"  We will never have to go anywhere else again!  Especially as the Ikea is right across the street!  Wooo hoooo!!!  My only complaint is that there is no Pottery Barn in the mall.  Seriously???  How can you NOT be in the Mall of America!  Oh well, there is one close!  What a neat place!

We went back to the house today and I will take you on a tour of the main floor.

 This first shot is of the view when you enter the front door.   Pay no attention to the six year old in the floor!

  

This is the large living area to the right of the front door.  I am thinking about breaking all rules and making this my formal dining room as it is larger.  I don't know.  What are your thoughts? 

 

This is the dining room to the left side.  My dining set would be tight. 

 It would fit, but it would be snug.  I just think this would make a cozy sitting area.  

 

When you come down the foyer, you come into the kitchen on the right! 

 I fell in love with the painted island immediately!  It is a unique shape and I just love it!

 I love the oil rubbed bronze fixtures especially the pendant lights

The white door is the pantry.  It is quite a bit larger than my old one so I am geeked!

 

Another shot of the kitchen with a super cute husband!  I love how there is a regular oven and then the microwave/convection oven is on the top and then second oven is on the bottom.   

 This is my new stove.  I have never cooked on gas,

 and I am praying it is easy clean up when I boil stuff over!!

  This is looking back toward the front door from the kitchen.  The doorway to the right is the mudroom.  

We are going to put a door on it so you can't see it when you are eating dinner!

This is the mudroom.  On the left is a long closet that will be awesome for winter coats, supplies, brooms, mops, vacuums and the works!  I love the boot bench with the shelf above it. 

 It has three divisions.  How perfect is that!!!

Across from the kitchen is the family room.  I am not used to stained wood so that is going to be an adjustment.  Another interesting thing is that all the trim work is painted cream.  It is definitely warm looking but I am so used to the white!  It is all different and will be interesting as I decorate! 

The hall on the left leads to the office and the 3/4 bath.  

Jemma is enjoying a hot chocolate by the fire!  Gotta love a fireplace with a remote switch!

   

All winter long in Charleston, she has asked to have a hot chocolate by a "roaring fire"!  Ha!  We never built a fire in our fireplace in Charleston so the minute we had our new  house she asked for a hot chocolate.  

We obliged!

 The office

The 3/4 bath

A shot of the family room and kitchen area from the hall.  I love my island!  Have I mentioned that??  :-)

Tomorrow we will go to Jemma's new school to see about enrolling her for first grade.  We drove by today and it is a big school.  She was so excited or as she still says, "essited"!  It is right out of our neighborhood and literally a 4 minute drive.  If we get our tails in gear, we could walk to school!

I will be back soon with the top floor!  Have a great night y'all!