I've Waited 8 Months for This Day....

Since becoming a momma, I'm trying to also be more "domestic." Actually, if you've noticed, for the last year or so, I've been more motivated to cook. I'm calling it "nesting." You call it whatever you want. :) But Honky Tonk Hubby, is enjoying it. I've been cooking and baking so much lately!

Months ago, I found Made It. Ate It. Loved It. And I LOVE it! One of the recipes I really wanted to try, was this bread. But I was pregnant, and didn't want to eat. Was sicker than I'd like to remember. But I printed it out. And knew, in a few short months, it would be cool enough to bake again. You know, not triple digits!

8 months later, I'm baking bread! I know!! I shocked myself. :) But this recipe seemed easy enough! I just had to try it. And my house, smells AMAZING right now!! Mouth watering, OMG-ing, I can't wait until the bread is baked....GOODNESS!!

I'm telling you, if I can do it, so can you! It's not that bad. And what is better than fresh bread and butter? When it's cool outside. And there's stew making in the crock pot. I can't wait for dinner! If you don't hear from me in days, I'm in a bread coma! ~Chels

Making Some Crafty Memories :)

I have a secret to tell you. And you can't tell anyone! But my hubs and I, did a little crafting last night. It was such a HOT night. And I was looking through this folder of projects, that I want to get done, before our daughter is here. Let me tell you, it's HUGE!! With just over a month, I'm not sure everything is going to get done.

But we're not going to focus on that! What we're going to talk about is this. I was looking for something to work on. It's been so HOT outside. But we decided to turn on the sprinklers. Water the grass, and just enjoy the evening. Outside. As much as we could.

Well, hubs shocked me!! He brought out this bag of mine. It's been sitting in the garage for almost a month! With the supplies to make these bracelets. Yes, I said a month!! But you see, I wanted to ask my doctor, if I could use spray paint while pregnant. She told me, that she'd prefer me not to. But that I could work with these pens, outside. ONLY outside!!

That wasn't very good news for me. There are a few projects that I want to work on. But I need to use spray paint. So I've just been putting them off. I don't want to bother my hubs with painting bracelets, flower pots, letters, that weird looking bookshelf, etc. To my surprise, he actually wants to do all these things. Without me asking him!!

My hubs went to the side of the house, and painted a bunch of bracelets for me. A BUNCH!! I might have gone overboard buying them. But I found them on sale....for 25 cents a piece!! :) When they were dry, he brought them to me. Where our dogs and I, were enjoying the relaxing evening. They were eating some treats. I was having some fruit, and reading a magazine.

Hubs and I, spent the next 2 hours, writing on my bracelets. Well, I wrote on them. My hubs drew some fun pictures. When we went inside, hubs stayed in the garage for a few more minutes. Sealing the bracelets. I don't know the name of the stuff he used. But it's clear.

That's what my hubs and I did last night! And it was such a nice evening. Whenever I look at my precious bracelets, I'll remember this night. The wonderful memories that we made. And just how precious my husband is. Because who else can say, they spent the night making bracelets with their husband? And really enjoying it. I have to be the luckiest woman on earth. Because he LOVES me, with all HIS HEART!! Luv you too Suga' Boots!! ~Chels

Taco Tuesdays in a Crock Pot!!

I can't lie. Around here, "Taco Tuesdays" are a MUST!! I tell you, don't mess with our Tuesdays. When my hubby and I first met, we were poor college kids. Man, money was so incredibly tight! Most of the time, we'd hangout at the 4H house. Because everyone would just bring a few things, and we'd cook up a meal.

But on Tuesdays, it was "Taco Tuesday." We'd sometimes splurge, and go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. But most of the time, we'd go to Taco Bell. Get us a few cheapo tacos, and sit and talk. Some days, we'd head to the local park. Other times, we'd head to one of our houses, and catch up on our favorite shows. And when one of us was pulling an "All Nighter" at the library, the other would bring dinner. :)

When we got married and moved in together, not much changed. Other than, it's been a heck of a long time, since we went to Taco Bell! Now hubby has a better job. But we're still a 1 income family. Cooking is not just something I should do....it's almost necessity. To cut down on costs. And I'm totally cool with that. It's my way, to provide for my hubby. Since he works so darn hard!

I've been pretty good. We still eat our tacos every Tuesday. It's that one thing, that makes both my hubs and I, very happy!! Almost 90% of the time, we have ground beef tacos. I'm just not too skilled in cooking. Once in a while, we'll have leftover roast. I'll shred it, and cook it up with onions, peppers, and jalapenos. And if I'm being really lazy, I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken. I shred it up. And those tacos, usually get more "fancy" toppings than the rest. :)

But I feel like I'm in a rut! I want to keep our "Taco Tuesdays" going. But I wanted something a little different. And honestly, I haven't been wanting to cook much. I know I say this a lot, but it is so HOT here!! Living in the desert, sorta sucks the life out of you at times.

Well, you know what? Good friends are awesome! And not long ago, Rach blogged about this blog. She was working on a craft, for her boys. And had tried out some recipes. I thought, that this recipe sounded good. And super easy! Heck, Rach has 3 kids. Under 3!! And Mike is away, fighting that fire. If she can make these, so can I!

Life changing folks! So good!! I almost NEVER use my crock pot. I just don't know what to cook in there. And it takes up so much space. That it spends 98% of the time, tucked away under our kitchen sink. I know. Weird huh? But my hubs refuses to put cleaning supplies under there. Like most people. We've never had anything under there, except all the appliances, that we rarely use.

Thanks Rach! For sharing this blog with me. And helping me find this recipe. Something tells me, these are going to be regulars in our meals. They're easy, cheap, and so tasty! Heck ya! Things that we have on hand, all the time, chicken breasts and salsa. This is what we ate on Tuesday night. With fresh corn tortillas.You have to LOVE the local Mexican bakeries. :) Try this out! You won't regret it. Plus, clean up was super easy!! That's always a bonus in my book. ~Chels

Berry Fun

I don't know if I ever shared this on my blog. But the first summer that we lived here, we planted a bunch of berry bushes. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. Yum! And every year, we've crossed our fingers. That the snow doesn't kill them. And neither does the heat. But we don't get fruit. Lots of pretty green leaves. But no fruit!! I'm starting to wonder about those little guys! We planted them, because we LOVE fruit that much. But we're still waiting on our first harvest....

But like I said, we LOVE fruit. Especially berries! And I've been dreaming of eating bowls and bowls, of fresh berries. One day. Fingers crossed. Instead, we took a drive yesterday. To the "local berry patch." By local, I mean 2 and a half hours away!!

But you know what? It was totally worth it!! Baskets, buckets, and what not later....I was one happy lady!! I had so many berries. And I've happily sat here, taking in as many as I can. Isn't that part of the Summer fun? Fresh and yummy berries. Maybe next year, our little plants will give us some berries.... ~Chels

Can't Wait!!

My hubs and I decided to have some friends over. For the 4th of July. Which means I need to figure out something to cook. Oh my! I've been hunting down some good recipes. I thought maybe some kabobs would be good. But when I started thinking about that, it's a lot of cutting! My expanding pregnant belly and I, figured we'd like a much simpler route. Maybe for baby girl's 1st birthday...we'll do kabobs. :)

I kept hunting. And hunting. Hubs wanted to do burgers and hotdogs. But I wanted something much easier. I didn't want for my hubs, to have to be at the grill all day! Who wants to cook that much, when you have company over? Not me! That's when I found this recipe!!

Yes, it all sounds AMAZING!! The oven does most of the work. Oh, and I did buy the bagged coleslaw mix. 3 bags! Our fridge is now full of pretty ribs....waiting to be cooked. :) Pretty much, I just need to make the dressing for the coleslaw...and the sauce for the ribs.

Easy peasy. No? We also bought lots of fruit! Some hotdogs for the kids. And a few friends are bringing a salad or dessert. Man, I'm getting excited for Wednesday! Who's with me? Oh, and you have to check out this cooking blog. AMAZING recipes my friends!! ~Chels

I Surprised Him!!

My hubby totally surprised me for Mother's Day. I wasn't expecting anything. For real!! Because I'm pregnant. I know that I feel like a momma. But I'm not really a momma yet. Anyway, my hubs totally surprised me. And completely spoiled me on Mother's Day. I knew immediately, that I wanted to do the same for my love. :)

Weeks ago, I started thinking of what I could do. And I started planning. Ultimately, we went on a long drive to the mountains. Were I surprised my hubby with a new fishing pole, and a new tackle box. Jammed with all kinds of fishing stuff. We spent the day in the mountains. He fished. I enjoyed the quiet time. It's so great to connect with nature. Oh, and I cooked us up a big 'ol picnic lunch! We did end up, stopping at the cutest steakhouse, in the mountains. For dinner, on the way home!

But I know I surprised my hubby. First, that I was able to plan, and pull off the entire day! Second, because I cooked. And it was darn good. Most of what I made, were my hubby's favorite foods. I called my MIL weeks ago, and begged her to help me. Which wasn't a tough thing to do. She was happy to help!! :)

The one thing that I totally did on my own, was I made these ginormous cinnamon buns. For breakfast! I'd seen this recipe, months ago. And I'd been wanting to try it. But to me, it seemed like a "fancy recipe." Something you make on a "Special Day."

I'm pretty sure, that my hubby wondered why I crawled out of bed...at midnight. But I whispered to him, that I was having trouble sleeping. Lately, that has been true. It's just hard for me to sleep now. I'm guessing that it's due to my expanding baby belly. But I told him to go back to bed. I quickly made my way to the kitchen. And started these sweet treats. Knowing that they needed some time, to "do their thang!"

Then I went back to bed. On Friday, I'd prepped all the other food. Things were good to go. And I got up, extra early, on Sunday morning. I put the cinnamon rolls into the oven. With our main course. And headed back to bed. My hubby actually slept through all of this. I was shocked! After 15 minutes, I got out of bed. Pulled out our yummy goodness!! And grabbed my hubby's card.

He was shocked! I'm not sure if he was more shocked that I was celebrating him on Father's Day. Or that I had baked a batch of these sweets. And they were so good! I swear to you, 1 roll, was bigger than my hand!! OMG!!

After our sugary breakfast, we got ready for the day. Headed out to church. Then hit the road. It was a really WONDERFUL day! And I hope that we can turn this into a family tradition. Next year, having our baby girl with us! And these little guys, are going to be a regular for all our "Special Mornings!" ~Chels

For My Lova'

This week, my hubby and I celebrate 4 years of wedded bliss! On Thursday to be exact! Man, time does fly by! Now, we're just months away, from becoming parents. It's just crazy, how fast life moves.

Back to our anniversary. I wanted to do something special for my Lova'. Ya know, he's been so wonderful, during our pregnancy. Actually, he is wonderful all the time! That's why I married him. Ladies, I wasn't that crazy! I knew, this man was special. :)

I want to do something extra special. Take into account, it's like a million degrees here! We have had horrible smoke, from a fire that's a couple hours from us. Outside stuff, just ain't gonna happen. :( And here I had had my hopes on a starlight picnic. Maybe next year! Instead, I figured I'd make my hubs a special dinner. Inside. With the AC blasting!

And like any normal pregnant woman, when I think of food....I think of desserts!! I know, I shouldn't. But it's all I crave these days. And then I remembered. Those "no bake" cheesecakes. In a flippin' jar! Dang it, they look so good.

So I hauled my pregnant self down to Wally World. This morning. In nearly 100 degree weather....at 10AM. Ugh....the "Dog Days of Summer" are here!! I must have spent, 2 hours looking for those cute little jars. Then I gave up. My feet were getting all swollen. My belly was rumbling. Baby girl and momma were hungry. I bought my ingredients. Then hopped over to Subway. :)

One, I can't find any cute jars. To me, they make this dessert. I'll keep hunting. I've got a couple of days. Two, what the heck else am I going to serve? Honky Tonk Husband likes to eat. And until about 20 minutes ago, I hadn't realized, I don't have a menu planned! I need to get on that! ASAP!!

On a good note, I got my hubby's present. And it's all wrapped up! Yay for me! That rarely happens this early in the game. Maybe pregnancy is getting me more "on the ball." Do you have any dinner suggestions? Or plans. Any ideas? I'd LOVE to hear them! My hubby really is a special guy. And I want to show him on our special day! ~Chels

Starting My Search....

Goodness! It has been so HOT around. Like all of a sudden, someone turned up the thermostat! No lie!! Just a few days, I was in HEAVEN with the weather. Now, I don't want to leave the house! But we're getting a cold front...and should be back in the 90s through next week. :) And that makes me want to spend more and more time outside. You see, the Honky Tonky Husband and I, are investing a little money. In some good outdoor furniture.

We actually spent the better part of one entire day, looking at outdoor furniture. With no luck! We just didn't find anything we LOVED!! And if you know anything about outdoor furniture, well it's a good investment. You just don't want to buy something, for the sake of buying it. Only to find out, a month later....you really can't stand it.

We decided to put that shopping on the back burner. For another week. When there are less people at the stores. And I've done a little more research. I took to Pinterest. For a little inspiration. And I found this cute little picture. Oh my!!

A. Don't ya just LOVE this? B. This just screams summer to me. C. The colors are so fun! D. It looks like a combination, of a lot of different stuff. Not one of those sets you buy at Lowe's or HD. I'm just sayin'.

I just don't think my hubby will go for such girly colors. Not even with baby girl on the way. Nope! But I think if we can find a comfy looking bed like that, and a decent set of furniture, we can do this. Just paint everything white.

Love the pink! But I'm thinking, if we can work with yellow, turquoise, and lime green...this could be fun. And my hubby would love it too! Now I just need to start searching. I can't wait to have it done. What do you think? I'm I nuts? Or is this a good idea? ~Chels

Thin Mint Heaven!!

Every year, I count something down. Something that you won't expect. Girl Scout cookie time! And let me tell you, it's tough to find those little guys. Around here anyway! We must not have a troop around here. I'm not sure. But without fail, my hubby brings home 10 boxes. Every year. Bless my Lova'!!

Right now, those sweet delight, are long gone. I'm a little ashamed to admit, that hubs only got 3 cookies. 3 cookies people!! I ate the rest. Me and baby girl. :) And they were darn good! But I got real sad, when I found this recipe last night. Oh. My. Goodness! What am I going to do now??

Well, nothing gets by the man I love. We're completely out of thin mints. Hubs took to hunting out something similar today. Didn't even know he was going to the grocery store. I would have asked him to pick up some ice cream. And maybe some bagels with cream cheese. :) Can you tell what I'm craving?

Hubs did find a yummy cookie. I think they're made by Keebler. I'm not even positive. And a little too lazy to go look right now. But as we speak, I've got a batch of these in the oven. And our home smells AMAZING!! I can't wait to try them out.

On a side note, hubs bought 3 packages of those cookies. And I've already eaten 6 cookies! It's bad. And the Andres mint chips....from the baking aisle....are so good! Darn Lola!! You got me hooked on eating them, with vanilla ice cream. And by themselves. :) Can you tell that I like chocolate and mint? ~Chels

Which Do We Start On??

Tomorrow we find out, whether our Honky Tonk Baby is a boy or girl. I'm so excited!! And so nervous! This pregnancy just seems to be flying by! Here we are, already going to find out if we're going to have a son or a daughter....

It just got me thinking, how real this now feels. Tomorrow, we're halfway! And in 20 very short weeks, we'll be bringing our baby home. Hubs and I, just want a healthy baby. Monday night, after dinner, we both wrote down whether we thought we were having a boy or a girl. We both wrote the same answer! I guess tomorrow, we'll see if we were right.

Because I'm feeling so anxious, I've been searching through Pinterest. I found 2 boy projects, and 2 girl projects. Darn, I'm just so excited to know!! Do you know, we really haven't bought much for Honky Tonk Baby. Sad but true. Mostly because what do you buy? You know, until you know if you're having a boy or a girl.

We've picked up a few packs of white onesies. That I want to try and dye. But I haven't bought dye yet. We've bought our breast pump. And a few blankets. My hubs came home one day, with a stack of books. And some stuffed animals. That's it! We really need to find out whether we're going to be having a boy or a girl....

Remember those projects I was telling you about? Here they are. Hubs is taking some good notes. Even making out some lists. I'm 100% positive, that after our doctor's appointment tomorrow, we'll be heading to the store. Hopefully Target. But I'm sure, hubs will have his lists in hand. Wanting to head to Lowes or HD. :)

What do you think of this little tool bench? Incredible! Just like Daddy's! We even spotted the cutest set of Craftsman tools at K-Mart!! So adorable!!

How about a Firehouse? This would be adorable! Being that the firefighters run by our house, every morning. If we have a son, I'm sure he'll just adore that! Better yet, this is made our of a bookcase!!

This is what started my little search. :) You know that little space under your stairs. The one that no one knows what to do with. Well, turn it into a little playhouse!! LOVE the door! All I've got to say is....my hubby is in serious trouble....if our baby is a girl!!

And no playroom is complete, for a little girl, without her very own kitchen! Shut your mouth!! Isn't this just darling? Wow! I don't even know where to begin....

There you go. This pregnant lady, is ready to find out if her baby is a boy or a girl. I'm also ready to do some shopping. And put our baby's nursery together. I'm sure that Honky Tonk Baby's Godmother, and Godfather are anxious too! How in the world, am I going to get through the next 24 hours?? ~Chels

Life Changing...and Sweet and Sour Chicken!!

This is blog post, that we've all been waiting for. The one when I tell you, I'm really enjoying cooking. Oh, and I found a blog that will change your life! Because it's got the most AMAZING and DELICIOUS recipes around!! Go immediately here, and follow Made It. Ate It. Loved It.

Back to the post. Around here, we enjoy oriental food. Probably a little too much! But in this small town, there's not really a place to go. And you know, get good food. There is a place, on the college campus. But it's only open Monday-Friday, from August-May, from 11am-2pm. Not really making for the easiest place to dine. If you know what I mean....

Other than that, you can drive an hour away, end enjoy PF Changs. But for us, that's just not going to happen. It's like a once every 6 months, kind of thing. We do have a local place. But the only thing that is good, is the beef and broccoli. Oh, and the prices!! But we crave sweet and sour chicken, lo mein noodles, and good egg rolls.

When we dive up north, like once a year, we also eat at Panda Express. Like 5 times, in 2 days!! I know, we're crazy. But I so wish, that we had a Panda Express near us. The closest one, is 3 hours away! Can you see why, I need to learn how to cook? And why this blog, is making me so excited.

Well, not only have I found good egg rolls, at Costco! I can't remember the brand, but they're in the freezer section. Oh, and I've seen small packages at Wally World. But you pay less, if you buy the big box. Then I found this good lo mein recipe. I know! The stars were lining up. Lastly, I found this recipe for sweet and sour chicken!!

Can you tell what we're having for dinner? Um, hello! Look at this picture!! I just have to make this. I've already been to Albertsons twice. And it's not even lunchtime. Can I make it to dinner? Oh, the Honky Tonk Hubby is going to be so excited!! ~Chels

Colorful Fun!!

Some things just make the world, a very happy place. You know, like walking through Hobby Lobby. I know, it's just February. But I walked through all the aisles in Hobby Lobby. And I spent an extra long time, in the "Summer" aisles.

There were so many colorful things! Pinwheels for you yard. A heck of a lot of garden stuff. But also, lots of fun summer stuff. Like kitchen utensils. In all these fun and bright colors. It totally didn't help that everything in that section, was 40% off this week. I wanted it all! Including this cool cutting board. That has a fold out bowl attached. To put your peelings and stuff. Really cool! Well, I walked out with nothing....

But I still had all this on my mind. When I got home, we had this catalogue in the mail too! For the love of mankind, I couldn't help myself. I sat down, and looked through the whole thing. Filled with kitchen gadgets, tools, and essentials. We're talking pots and pans, towels, and decor. In the best colors ever!! Including some fun spoons. Wooden spoons. With fun colored, painted handles.

When my hubby came home, I was going to show them to him. Being that I had been so good all day. All day people! I didn't buy a thing we didn't need. And I paid all our bills. :) But I couldn't find that catalogue anywhere. :(

My hubby decided over the weekend, that we should go back to Hobby Lobby. Pick up a few things. Being that everything was on sale again. It's the 3rd week in a row, that these things were on sale! This time, I couldn't bring myself to spending the money. I know! I'm a fool. But we're saving up for a really good cause....our baby's nursery.

And honestly, in the back of my mind, I was still thinking about those spoons. I'm almost 100% positive, that they were 6 spoons for $20. Kinda a lot. But totally worth it! And I didn't want to blow money, on something that I wasn't 100% sure of. Yes, I liked the brightly colored spatulas, whisks, and gadgets. But even with the discount, they were $5 a piece. Oh, and then how would I decide on a color, or which to buy. We left....empty handed.

Then we crossed the road, and did our grocery shopping. Totally on the wrong day. At the wrong store. Wally World on a Saturday....is a MAJOR SIN!! Especially in this college town. Hobby Lobby's lines had been insane! This was ridiculous! At one point, 2 hours into shopping, 90 minutes in line....my hubby wondered away. He actually snuck to the McD's in the back. To get us a little snack. And on his way back to the front, he saw a package of wooden spoons. Hanging on the side of an aisle. And because I had shown my hubby, this picture earlier in the week, he brought them to me. :)

I left hubby with the his fries and ice cream, and our grocery cart. Still in line. And I made a beeline for the small craft department. How can you call 1 and 1/2 aisles, a "Craft Department?" Anyway, I picked up a few different colors of paint. And some sponge brushes.

Long story short, I spent my Saturday night, painting. I ended up using this picture as a good inspiration. And I'm happy that we still had some painters tape, in the closet. It helped make my handles straight. A few coats of paint later, we have some fun cooking utensils. Now I'll be on the lookout for more wooden utensils. Thank you Hobby Lobby and Pinterest for my new, colorful, and fun kitchen accessories! ~Chels

Indoor Tent

Fun in a tent! Who doesn't enjoy a tent? I know I do! It's probably, one of the only reasons I enjoy camping. Fun in a tent....can happen at all ages!! So when I was strolling around on Pinterest, and came across this....I was so excited!!

First of all, yes our baby NEEDS one of these tents! How much fun would this be? A little place to hide out in. Lots of time for fun playing, and reading. Imagine all the memories you could make. :)

Oh, and until baby is big enough....this momma and daddy, can have a little fun in there too! Because honestly, a tent is good for any age! Now where is my hubby? Wouldn't this be fun for Valentine's Day? ~Chels

Can We Say Fun??

Some ideas just make you smile. From ear to ear. With no explanation! You just smile. And walk on air. That's how I felt, when I seen this cute idea!

Oh Pinterest, how I LOVE you!! I just think this idea is genius. At least for us! Because out here, the weather is wild! For the last few winters, we've had an insane amount of snowfall!! Then we have a ridiculous amount of heat, in the summer. Say 40+ days of triple digits!! And the heat, is just unbearable between May and September.

This idea is just genius! I'm going to save it. In the back of my brain. And on this blog. So when our Honky Tonk Babe is about a year and a half, I'll start bugging my Honky Tonk Hubby. You know, to build us something like this! That way, we can play. No matter if we have 12 inches of snow, rain for days, or triple digits! Oh, I can't wait!! ~Chels

When Times Get Tough....

Lately, life has been tough. I feel like someone has kicked me in the stomach. Or is sitting here, with their hands inside me, torturing my insides. I've been so sick! "Morning sickness," is killing me. Literally, I spend 20 hours laying down. A day!! Why don't women talk about this stuff?

I've been feeling really bad. I mutter up enough energy to make my hubby some breakfast, take my vitamins, and shove something down my throat....every morning. Then I lay down. For hours and hours. Praying that it stays down. In the afternoon, I manage to get up again, throw in a load of laundry, and shove some lunch down my throat. Then I take a nap, until my hubby gets home.

Talk about feeling like crap! He comes home, to a messy home, no dinner, and a wife that looks like death. Poor man. If he wanted a divorce right now, I'd totally understand! My hubby comes home, from working 10 hours. And has to cook dinner. Then I feel really bad. And I try to do more laundry. And I cry. Cry every evening, in the middle of our bedroom.

To which my hubby comes to hold me. And tell me, it's OK. That life isn't always going to be like this. There is a reason. And that is, I'm growing  us a strong and healthy baby. My hubby reminds me that life isn't always going to be like this. That I'm doing something, that he can't do. Grow a baby. And he is more than happy, to pick up my slack.

Yes, my hubby makes us dinner. Preps both of our lunches. Finishes the laundry that I started earlier. Cleans the yard. And has started helping out with the housework. I pray, that this will not last much longer. I just don't know if I have it in me, to continue this way.

Last night, my hubby reminded me of our wedding vows. "For better, or for worse. In sickness, and in health." You never think about those things, when you're getting married. But on the tough days, the wedding vows, really do take on a new meaning. A more meaningful definition of marriage.

I know, in my heart, that all of this is for the well being of our baby. And our family. It doesn't make it easier. But it makes it easier to understand. I know, that I have an AMAZING husband. Lately, I've grown to know, he is so much more amazing, than I could ever dream up. He's so loving, caring, and understanding. I'm so thankful for my hubby! Yes, he makes my grey skies happy. He finds ways to make me smile, when no one else can. I'm so lucky to have him! Our baby is so lucky, that he is going to be their daddy!! ~Chels

I Heart My In-Laws

A while back, I was talking to my mother-in-law on the phone. We were talking about our house. And the things I wanted to buy for my house. I've posted about a few of the things on here. But honestly, my hubby and I live on a pretty tight budget. We save for twice a year trips to the rodeo. Because we really enjoy going. And for the occasional trips home, to visit family. We live in a different state. And we each get one splurge a month. That's about it.

The rest of our money goes to the house. You know DIY projects, and just making the payments. So I don't buy much to "decorate" with. If I happen to find a good sale on something, I'll pick it up. If not, I just dream about it. Knowing that one day, we'll be able to afford stuff.

But I seen this a while back. For $15. And for most people $15 isn't a lot of money. Most people would just buy it. But I couldn't. Because I felt guilty. If I hadn't mentioned it, I'm also in college. So we live off of my hubby's income. That's it. He has a good job. But to juggle the cost of college, a new house, and living expenses...let's just say it's tight on 1 income.



Back to my phone call with my MIL. We were talking and I said that I really liked these hearts. I thought they'd look cute in our backyard. You know, 3 would look darling on the back fence. That's all I said. I didn't really think much about it again.

Today, when I got home from my classes, I found a big 'ol package on our porch. I didn't know what it was. I knew I hadn't ordered anything. And I assumed my hubby hadn't either. So I was in shock. Well, I drug the box into the house. Because it was too big and heavy for me to pick up.

Since my hubby was at work, I decided to open it up. I was curious. Inside was the sweetest letter from my in-laws. Telling my hubby and I just how proud of us they are. And inside, were 7 barbed wire hearts that my FIL had made. And you know what he made them out of? The old barbed wire fence.

See a few summers ago, my hubby and I went back to TX. And we stayed in this little house behind his parents house. There was this barbed wire fence behind the little house. I'm not sure what it was for. But it had wooden posts and barbed wire. Well, in the evenings, after I had helped my MIL (at the time, hubby and I weren't married yet) make dinner, I would go sit out there on one of the posts. And I'd wait for my FIL and hubby to get back from working.

When we got married, my FIL told a story about one day I was sitting there on that fence. My hubby had had a tough day working. He was beat, and a little dejected. But as they road their horses back in, my hubby seen me. He sat taller in his saddle, got a crook'd smile, and a twinkle in his eyes. Then he told my FIL, "Pops, I've found my gal. I know she's the one. Every time I see her, she makes my life better. I just know she's the one."

A few weeks later, we got engaged. It was the 4th of July. And I was sitting on the post of the fence. Hubby and I were watching the fireworks. It was really sweet. So my in-laws always think of us when they think of that 'ol fence.

Fast forward a bit. And my in-laws took down the fence. My BIL's small kiddos had tried to climb it and would get some pretty nasty cuts from it. Remember, it was made out of barbed wire. So they took it down. But when we got married, my FIL built us a bench out of the posts. He told me, that way I'd have a proper place to sit and wait for my hubby. He was always worried that I'd hurt myself on the barbed wire.

I love that bench! It's in our little entry way. And I do find myself waiting for my hubby there. I like to see his truck drive up in the evenings. :) But I never asked about the wire. Who asks about barbed wire? Well, my FIL had rolled it up and stuck it in the barn. So when my MIL mentioned these hearts, he dug out the old wire. And he made us 7!

I know exactly where I want to hang them. And now, there is a cute story to go along with our barbed wire hearts. I know we'll have them for many, many years. And guess what? I LOVE my in-laws with all my heart! ~Chels

$50

Do you remember me telling you about the $50 that I got from our taxes? Well, hubby put his towards a new patio set. He felt guilty, because a few weeks ago, he got some new boots. But he really needed them. He works on a Ranch. And his other ones, well darn it...they were getting holes in them. But hubby didn't see it like that. He felt guilty.

So I wanted to pitch in my $50 too. You know, we could get us a nice table and chairs quicker. But my hubby wouldn't let me. He said it was time for me to buy myself something. And he reminded me of this belt that I had seen. We had gone to the warehouse to get hubby's boots. Because they're less expensive there. And well, it's just a fun place to go. When we went to go pay, I seen this Tony Lama belt. And I fell in love!

On the website, it sells for $90, plus shipping. But in the warehouse, I think it was $60. So tomorrow I'm going to call them up. I hope they still have it. I'm calling first. Because the warehouse is over an hour away. I don't want to make the trip if they don't have it. And thank you hubby! I'm glad that you got your boots. And that you think I should get my belt. ~Chels

Being an Adult

My hubby was almost in a panic a little while ago. He asked me if we had sent our tax papers in. Ya, we did. And we already got our rebate. It was really quick. Less than a week. And we had already talked about what we wanted to use the money for. We decided to make an extra house payment. And only to keep $100. We split the money.

When our rebate came in the mail, I deposited it in the bank and made the extra payment. It actually made almost 3 extra payments. :) It felt really good to pay ahead on our house. That night, I gave my hubby $50. Remember, we decided to keep $100. He didn't say anything. Just smiled.

Tonight when I assured him that we had sent our taxes and got our rebate, it must have rang a bell for him. "That was what the $50 was for." I just smiled. Sometimes he makes me laugh! But ya, that's what we did with our tax rebate.

This is probably the 1st time I've ever used my rebate for something good. Last year, we used our rebate to go on vacation and buy some furniture. We did save a little. And we used that for our down payment for our house. And the year before, we used the money for our wedding.

Before this, I would have gotten the money and treated myself. You know, some new clothes, makeup, fun dinners out, etc. But I can definitely tell that I'm growing up. Besides, it much nicer to own a home than it is to buy new clothes. I'm just saying. What did you do with your rebate? ~Chels

Our Yard

Today hubby and I spent almost the entire day at the local nursery. We're starting to get our hands dirty...in our yard. So we went with our lists to see what they had. Of course, I wanted all the pretty flowers. Rose bushes, seasonal flowers, and even strawberry plants. My hubby wanted all these "structured" bushes and trees. Go figure huh?

But we've made out a plan. We're going to slowly work at our yard. That means all the "bones" need to come together first. Ugh! But we'll get it done. We priced a lot of stuff today. And talked to a really nice man. He gave us all kinds of tips and tricks! What a nice man he was.

Well, hubs and I, we ordered sod today. We figured that's what is going to be the most expensive part of the yard. And the part that is going to need the most labor. I guess my roses are just going to have to wait until later. But I'm glad we have a plan. I don't feel so lost anymore. ~Chels

The Good and the Bad

Today I tried to make dinner. But it didn't end well. My hubby wanted to eat it. I'm pretty sure that he just wanted to make me feel better. Because it was a huge fail! I wouldn't let him. So we ended up ordering some pizza. I felt really bad. Like a failure as a wife or something like that. But my hubby tried to make me feel better.

We've only been in our house since November. And we've slowly been tackling all these rooms. Trying to decorate and all that jazz. We're knee deep in DIY projects. And some days, I'm not sure if we're ever going to get our house to feel like home. But tonight, while we waited for dinner, my hubby encouraged me to search for something to buy for our house. I got online, and started to search.

I found this wreath. I know what you're thinking, "Chels, you don't even have curtains. Girl you need something more than a wreath!" Believe me. I know this! But when I did a search for an entry way table, this picture popped up. I really want it. But I'm thinking that $28 is a lot for something we don't really need.

I'm hoping that Lola comes around soon. She's so crafty. I'm not. Not at all. But I like to read all about crafts. I'm hoping Lola can help me make something similar to this this wreath. Maybe a little more organized. You know, not all that stuff failing off. I really want a warm and inviting wreath for our front door. ~Chels