Home Improvement

So I know some of you are thinking.."Yeah sure, Gen is going to keep up with her goal to blog more frequently....Where's she been lately?" Well, My answer is "Home Improvement" - No I haven't been spending countless hours on the couch watching episode after episode of the show, but I have been down in my basement trying to get it finished!I thought I would put up a few pics to give you an idea of what we have been up to!

We have been working in the familyroom, trying to get the trim up and ready for paint:


We built the shelves for the linen closet & got it painted. (As you can see I barely gave it time for the paint to dry before I filled it's shelves!)


Here's the boys room. We built the window seats, shelves in the closets, put up the trim and got it painted, and Nathan has been working on the boys forest mural! It just needs a few finishing touches like curtain rods & curtains, and hanging rods in the closets, but it will be move in ready soon!


No, it's not a coffin, it's inside the window seats:

The boys have plans to make their room out in Camo. So far we have camo curtians and bed sheets, and we have toy boxes we are going to paint like ammo boxes, etc. Hopefully they will love it! Here is a picture of Brennan guarding his door already-



Thanks to my neighbor, friend and Visiting Teaching companion who gave me an afternoon of her time we were able to get things spakled, sanded, caulked and painted in the hallway and Taylor's room got it's trim and window boxes done, so all we have left is the mural. She wants it to look like you are small in a big garden. She wants large flowers and danelions on the walls with Fairies and Butterflies, kinda a tall order, so we'll see how it all works out!



And finally my last thing to be excited about- I learned how to cut angels for bay window areas! I know this may not sound like a big feat for some of you, but I was so worried going into it....but it all worked out in the end!
So here is your brief update for now. So If you wonder where we have gone and never see us out and about anymore, you'll know we are working hard to get out basement completely finished!

New Year- A Look back to the past

As the New Year has rolled around, I was inspired by my cousin Deb Burns to look back on my life and think of some of the things I have accomplished. She had this on her blog and gave instructions to bold the things you have done in your life. So here is a look at what I have already accomplished, and some thoughts on what I would still like to do:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris(actually was only able to go as high as it was open that day-not all the way to the top)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in movie
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book(does a picture book of our house building project count?)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House(drove by it in a speedy day trip to D.C)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Talked your way out of a ticket

Here are some of my future goals (not in any particular order):

1:Draw nearer to my Savior by increasing my scripture study and prayer
2:Become a more loving and understanding wife
3:Get to know my kids better- spend more one on one time with them
4:Make FHE a "NEVER MISS" event
5:Get back to my running ( I would love to complete a 1/2 marathon in my lifetime)
6:Lose another 12 pounds at least ( I have already lost 28)
7: Finish my basement
8:Get our Landscaping done
9:Learn more about my camera and Master my photography skills
10:Master my Budget
11: Be a better, more self less listener
12: Stay in touch with my close family that mean so much to me

These are just a start, but hopefully they will help me plan my days and use my time in a more effective manner! Happy New Year to you all and I hope this year brings love and Life fulfillment in all the aspects of your life you are searching for!