Newborn Photo Shoot

These were taken when Cora was 5 days old.  We did not do a newborn shoot with Nate so I wasn't sure what to expect.  The photographer was patient and sweet.  Cora was a little trooper and slept through all of the many different poses and wardrobe changes.

I love the photos.  She's so sweet in all of them. :)

These last photos were taken by me at home.  They are sweet too. :)

Silly Boy

A few weeks ago I was cleaning the bathroom with my back to the door.  I hear "Put your hands up!" I turn around and see this.  All I could do was laugh.  

Nate said he didn't have a bandit costume so he would just draw one.  The funniest part is that in Nate's seven years of life he has never intentionally written on himself.  After about two minutes he was ready to get it off.  The markers weren't washable so getting if off wasn't fun.  It actually took the red a few days to fade.  I don't think he will draw his own costume again any time soon. He was pretty cute though. :)

Field Trip: Desoto Caverns

In September Nate visited Desoto Caverns. 

I remember visiting Desoto Caverns as a child.  They have added a lot of other things to do as well as tour the cave.  Nate enjoyed the maze.

His favorite activity was panning for gems. :)

The Nursery

I am so pleased with Cora's nursery.  It is an eclectic blend of fabrics, textures, (mostly) old and new. Almost every piece in the room has some sort of story.  I wanted her room to be beautiful, but I also needed to do it on a limited budget.  

My mom had the great idea of using the drapes and bedding from our old guest bedroom in the nursery.  The fabrics and colors from those pieces were my decorating starting point.  I used them to find coordinating fabrics for the crib bedding and pillows.  

Here are the pillows from our old guest-room.  I took them apart and used pieces of them to create new pillows.

Here's the finished product.  I absolutely love how all of the fabrics and colors blend together perfectly.

I mentioned that almost every piece has a story.  My parents found the chandelier at a yard sale for seven dollars.  We just had to clean it and add new candle covers and bulbs.  The rocking chair came from my parents' and the crib came from a thrift store.  I originally planned to paint the crib, but it matched the furniture perfectly so I decided to leave it natural.

This piece and the bed are part of a set that belonged to Darren's grandparents.  

My talented cousin painted this beautiful abstract.  

 

This shelf looks old, but is actually one of the new pieces.  It's a Hobby Lobby special. :)

My mom found this ballerina picture at a yard sale several years ago. I love how delicate and feminine it is.

 A little girl's room would not be complete without bows.  Two sweet friends made these for Cora.  :)

The most challenging part of the room was the paint color.  Pink is hard.  You can choose a super light color on the color chart/card and it looks so much brighter on the wall.  The first color I chose looked like pepto bismol.  I tried to talk myself into living with it but just couldn't do it.  The room still needed one more coat so I decided we should just start over.  The second time I went with an extremely pale pink - like white with a pink tint.  It ended up being perfect.  It has plenty of color without being overwhelming.

These guys worked so hard prepping the room for paint.  We had a leak in this room a while back.  They had to get that repaired before we could paint.

We finished the room in just the nick of time.  Cora ended up arriving about two weeks early.  That story is coming soon. :)

My Guys :)

I love these two.  I love that Darren is happily willing to work on projects with Nate.  Here they are working on a boat Nate designed. 

1st Grade

We started our school year on Monday, August 4th.  Nate is in first grade this year. We are continuing to focus on reading, writing, and math.  We have also added spelling, Story of the World (history), and three subjects from coop.    

We are participating in a different coop this year.  Nate is taking chemistry/physics, geography, and art.  He takes classes each week at coop and has assignments/projects to complete at home.  We enjoyed the coop we were in last year, but it requires a lot of parental involvement.  I knew I would not be able to teach and/or volunteer with a new baby.  I am so glad we made that decision.  We LOVE the new coop.  Nate is learning a lot and I am enjoying not having to teach. :) 

One perk of home school:  no shoes. :)

Baby Shower

At the end of July some sweet friends gave us a baby shower.  It was a huge blessing to receive some much needed items to prepare for baby girl's arrival.

These sweet ladies hosted the shower.  Each one of them is so special to me and our family.  

These women are very special to me as well. :)

And, that's all the photos I have from the shower. :)  I wish I had photos of the other guests and all of the great gifts I received.  It was such a special time with friends and family who are very dear to me.