One Year . . .

It has been one year since I first learned of you. You were a name on a piece of paper given to me to read - a name in a series of letters with an almost unbelievable story attached to them. You were a gift from God that could not be kept, and so you were given to another family to bring them joy and be loved by them.

It has been one year since you became real to me as I saw you in a series of pictures. Each one a stepping stone from your beautiful life. Each one a moment I was not a part of. Each one containing a strikingly familiar face.

It has been one year since I heard your voice for the first time as I took the phone in my trembling hands. I'd already been told we sounded alike. I remember thinking, 'Oh, so that's what I sound like.' And you were on the other end of the line with wisdom and comfort in your voice, telling me things I needed to hear and reassuring me that everything would be alright.

It has been one year since you first walked in our door and uttered the words, "I'm home." One year since we stood face to face after thirty-six years of my not knowing of your existence. One year since I looked on you with my own eyes and recognized you instantly and my spirit gave you a name . . .

Sister.

So much has happened in this one year and I'm so glad you have been a part of it. You have listened, advised, comforted, congratulated and rejoiced. And so today, on your birthday-in-my-heart, I just wanted to say thank you sister, for finding us and being a part of one miraculous year.

I love you.

The Sibs, circa 2000

The Sibs, circa 2008

Three Word Thursday

Double. Chinnned. Delight.

Again, thanks to Cathe Holden {if you haven't checked out her blog yet, you simply must}, who's great idea of Three Word Thursday has not only given me a chance to evaluate my little world each Thursday, but has also given a new mom a chance to rest and still feel like she's contributing {however meagerly} to the blog world.

That's Nuts!

My dad {the Kernal} has been huge cheerleader of Big C's baseball teams this year. A few weeks ago he attended a game and bought a traditional ballpark snack to share with RedDog. We all got a kick out of watching RedDog spend a good two or three minutes trying to break into his first peanut shell! After a quick lesson from Papa, he was soon shelling 'em like a pro and enjoying a great baseball moment with his grandpa. Thanks Dad - for the snack and for supporting Big C this season.

Dominoes . . .

Why is it that certain events {the birth of a new baby for example} seem to start a chain reaction of other events happening at a rate faster than normal, much like that first domino in a line toppling over, making each successive domino fall faster than the one before it?

The first domino in our line fell last night as RedDog embraced his new role of "Big Kid" by taking the traditional lessons from his dad on the childhood rite of graduating from training wheels to a two wheeler in under five minutes. I sat and watched with Ollie in his stroller, my trusty camera Edward in hand, and my heart pounding and breaking at the same time. Why, oh why do they have to grow up?

And now for your enjoyment, a few snapshots from

"The Hubby's School of Cycling For Youngsters":

1. Take small child and bike to the basketball court and send them around a few times while barking instructions like "pedal faster" and "push harder" - it sounds so Lance Armstrong. {Never let child see the tool you've brought with you to remove training wheels.}

2. In one swift and painless movement, remove training wheels and move to a softer surface for the first "free ride". The Hubby likes grass for this step. It cushions the blow when falls happen, and falls ALWAYS happen. Plus, it forces the child to push very hard on the pedals, which helps them move more smoothly when they get on a harder surface.

3. The Hubby spends a lot of time pushing and running along side the child in the grass, yelling "pedal faster" and "push harder". The child ends up on his face in the grass several times - yet miraculously still trusts the Hubby.

4. In an instant something clicks and the child, his feet and his brain all start to work at the same time, making the pedals go round while the bike remains stable. At this point, the Hubby lets go and a look of complete pride spreads across the child's face.

5. Next, it's back to the basketball court to do laps and perfect the form of the new rider. At this point, the mom is alternating between shouting "Wahoo!" and wiping a tears from her eyes while trying to take photographs for her silly-little-blog-about-nothing.

6. Full of confidence, the child suddenly abandons any help offered by his parents and begins his quest for Tour de France glory at the ripe old age of six by riding his bike all the way home.

7. And this - well I have no explanation for this - but I should say, don't try it at home. Biking without a helmet is very, very dangerous.

Perks . . .

There are plenty of perks that come along with having a new baby - a free diaper bag full of coupons and formula, two days worth of hospital food {blech}, that nifty water bottle that will end up in a garage sale some day, and stitches in uncomfortable places, just to name a few.

But one perk that is truly a blessing to a new momma is the few days of dinners brought in by friends from church. Our first dinner home from the hospital was a feast provided by my friend Angela and her family. It was delicious and culminated with us gorging ourselves on the above dessert. I think I'll describe it as an individual sized jumble berry pie - and it was oh so fantastic with a heap of vanilla ice cream and a quick spin in the microwave.

So, I think now we should all beg Angela for the recipe . . . don't ya want some?

ps. A little challenge for you DEVOTED readers . . . the Hubby accused me of "smogging" last night. Any of you want to take a guess at what that means? I'll explain tomorrow.

The Fam . . .

This is what you get when older siblings wonder what it feels like to be swaddled:

a four pack of baby burritoes!

Little Man Shirts . . .

I whipped these onesies up this morning with some HILARIOUS iron-ons I found at Jo Ann Crafts. I can't wait to put them on Oliver. I think they will make me laugh all day long.

Mental Note . . .

Did you know 7-11 gives out FREE slurpees on July 11th? It's true. And here's the proof:

Make a mental note of it and surpise your kids next summer.
{Sorry, I would have posted this BEFORE the 11th, but I didn't know about it until my sis-in-law told me the day of and then I went and had a baby, you know!}

Cheerleaders . . .

Thanks to these four fantastic women in my life for leaving home and family behind to come and cheer me and Ollie on. You all rock!

Q & A . . .

A few of you asked:

I make all of my labels in Microsoft Publisher because I am only a wannabe graphic designer. My dream is to one day use Adobe Illustrator like the real pros. I grab graphics off the internet via Google Images or from my graphics program "Art Explosion". I usually print on cardstock {for a gift like this} and adhere with double sided tape. I'm sure you can also find round labels at the office supply store that can go through a printer.

You can get empty paint cans like the one I used at just about any craft store. Or, for another cute look, you can buy the real deal at Home Depot for pretty cheap and spruce it up with some great scrapbooking paper.

Quick and Easy {Grown Up Girl} Gift . . .

A few weeks ago I posted about an easy and inexpensive gift that Hannie B. took to a birthday party for a nine year old. Last week it was my turn to celebrate a friend's birthday. Once again, I wanted to do something fun and a little different that reflected the personality of my friend Susan but wouldn't break the bank.

I immediately thought of this little paint can I had stashed in my gift wrapping supplies. Since Susan loves pink, I thought it would be fun to fill the can with little pink items that would help her "Paint The Town Pink" - {see the label I made for the top of the can}. I stuffed the can with bubblegum pink nail polish, some sassy pink nail files, pink polish remover, deliciously scented pink body wash, some great pink socks {on super clearance}, pink Choxie chocolate {also clearanced} and a pink iTunes gift card. I topped it all off with an obnoxiously large pink bow and met Susan for a yummy lunch at a local fire-grilled pizza joint.

Aside from the gift card, most of the items were dirt cheap! I can't post actual prices, since Susan reads my blog, but just wanted to illustrate once again that it is fun to think outside the box for birthday gifts and look for unusual items at discount prices.

Pay Day . . .

You can blame it on gas or an involuntary muscle spasms, but when Mr. Ollie gave me this cheeky grin in the hospital, I decided he was paying me for my swollen feet and an aching back. And I'd do it all again just to see this cheeser.

My Sunday Afternoon . . .

Was spent like this.

And sleeping.
And nursing.
And changing.
And enjoying a surprise visit with the Queen.

All in all, just a wonderful day really.

Three Word Thursday . . .

Slice. Of. Heaven.

Cathe Holden has declared Thursdays to be Three Word Thursdays. Perfect for a momma who wants to plaster pictures of her new one all over the planet. Seriously, folks, he is as delicious as he looks.

Whew, That Was Hard . . .

Being born is tough work, people!

Introducing . . .

Oliver Matthew Lee
Born at 1:52 p.m. on July 16th, 2009
9 lbs. 1 oz.
20 3/4 inches

On Baby Eve . . .

One last snap shot of the three Lee kiddoes the night before they get a new baby brother. Man, I love these people!

I Heart Big C. . .

Just a proud momma bragging about her super cute, growing-up-way-too-fast son and his 2009 All-Star run with a few pictures form the all-American ball field. I love you buddy! Way to give it your best. And thank you for finally losing so I could get my pregnant body off those darned bleachers. You are a good, good son.

Priorities . . .

Thank you so much to all of you who have been concerned about my well being during these last weeks of my pregnancy. To assure you all is well in the universe and I've got my priorities straight, I just wanted to let you know I will be at the theater at 10:00 AM sharp on Wednesday, watching this:

Thank you baby for letting me catch one last really great flick before your arrival.

Convenience . . .

I have to admit, it does come in handy sometimes . . . and for this reason, I will miss my buddah.

In Three Words . . .

Adoring. This. Beauty.

One of my all time favorite bloggers/most talented people ever, Cathe Holden, issued a challenge to share something you've done today in only three words. I'm all for it, and upping the challenge to say it needs to include a picture and I want to see it done by the following people: Kasey, Audrey, Shar, Christy, Emily, Christin and Tobi. Now get to work . . . you've got a pregnant lady waiting.

{for those who guessed in yesterday's riddle, three of you were spot on - like Goldilocks in the Three Bears, I've spent the past TWO MONTHS rotating between the four locations looking for a comfortable night's rest. Some nights I've even tried three different locales, too no avail. Last night, it was RedDog's bed and eventually the couch. Fun, no?}

A Riddle . . .

You know I love a little challenge and I'm feeling a bit in the mood lately, what with all this waiting around and such, so here's a riddle to get your lazy summer minds a thinkin':

What do these four pictures have in common?

{as usual, my immediate family is disqualified from participating, since they know too much.}

ps. I've started stockpiling future posts to give to you while I enjoy my new baby, so for the next few weeks, aside from pictures of a gorgeous newborn, you'll be getting prewritten randomness from my life. Hope you enjoy!

Price My Space {with Nester} . . .

Over at Nester's blog {you simply must check her out if you love decorating or laughing} is a little "Price My Space" party. I love seeing how people pull off fabulous decor with little to no budget, and Nester is a consumate professional in this arena. I thought I'd price out my dining room today, not only because it's the cleanest room in the house {always, since it's at the front door} but also because it is chock full of bargains. Here we go!

1. Table purchased for $199.00 at a Pottery Barn scratch & dent store eight years ago. Two days after buying it, my nephew took a fork to it and gave it a real vintage look.

2. Four Napoleon style chairs purchased eleven years ago at another scratch & dent store for $20.00 each. They've been painted three times and I'm not wild about the current state of the seats after I spray painted them the last time, but I'm 40 weeks pregnant, so they won't be changing any time soon.

3. Chandelier courtesy of Pottery Barn Outlet for $60.00. Shades from my personal collection, which is a little out of control. I like that this "chandie" is a little masculine, which works well with the color palette in the room of khakis and blacks.

4. Artwork by cheapskate me. I pulled the "S" off the internet and printed it on my laser printer. The other print came from a library sale I attended while I was in college. I got 10 prints for $2.00. The frames were from my unused collection and were sprayed with paint from my garage stash. My brother helped me cut the mats which he already had.

5. China curio from "Four Shabby Chicks" for $269.00. It is the most expensive piece in the room, but I still think it was a good deal. It houses my wedding china and other favorite white dishes.

6. I don't know what this is called - for some reason I think it has to do with Galileo, but I got it at a garage sale for $5.00 because it was missing the little arrow from the top. It weighs about 20 pounds and gives a little architectural element to the room.

7. Ahh, the infamous wall of plates - none costing more than 75 cents - all purchased at thrift stores, garage sales or tag sales. I love that they are creams and whites of varying shades. I'm not afraid to mix my whites and neither should you be!

8. The sideboard was another great find from "Four Shabby Chicks" and was $169.00, badly in need of a scrub down and with a broken shelf inside. I love it anyway - a great surface for holiday decorating and a great place to hide miscellaneous dishware!

9. We've had these lamps our entire marriage. I got them at Fred Meyer, a Mountain West store I don't even think exists anymore. They were and still are cheap looking and cheaply made, but they work with nice Restoration Hardware shades that I purchased with a gift card from my MIL.

10. These parsons chairs were a huge steal at my local Salvation Army Thrift Store at $40.00 for the pair - already slipcovered in a fabric that worked with my color scheme. I don't love buying "soft goods" at thrift stores, just a little icky feeling for me, but I couldn't pass these up.

11. More cheap art: Large gold frame came from a garage sale for $2.oo. The pear print was a find at a thrift store, also for $2.00 and framed at Michael's Craft on a 60% off coupon.

12. Mirror from a little local store called "Really Great Finds" for $39.00 - not too cheap, but perfect size to go between my cream on cream striped silk drapes from Target. com at $39.00 a panel.

13. Solid walnut demi-lune table was a treasured find at a garage sale. It is in perfect condition, but I only had $15.00 left in my pocket. The sweet grandma selling it thought I would give it a nice home . . . bless her soul!

And that's my dining room. I'd add up the total, but it's too late at night for me to do math in my head, and as I said, I'm 40 weeks pregnant so I don't feel like getting up to grab a calculator. I just wanted to add my agreement to that of Nester's - you can do a lot with hardly any money and it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.