THIS PHOTO PERFECTLY DESCRIBES OUR FAMILY PHOTO SHOOTS!

AS THEIR MOTHER, I LOVE THIS PHOTO SO MUCH!!  IT'S NOT THE PERFECT EVERYONE SAY CHEESE PHOTO BUT IT SUMS UP THEIR PHOTO SHOOT PERSONALITIES PERFECTLY!!

Jordan posing like a supermodel, Matthew standing like a statue with the perfect photo smile that I taught him when he was five, Maximus doing some serious pouting and our little Madden screaming & crying!!  

Now I have to tell you that this picture was taken in the middle of the day, it was 110 degrees, windy and the dust was blowing in their eyes.  They could barely keep their eyes open anyway because the sun was so bright and then add the dust storm....poor kids!!  

I may not put this on our Christmas card but I am getting a large print and hanging it in the house because to me this photo is just perfect!  It makes me laugh and I will always remember the torture these kids went through to try and make the perfect Christmas card photo!!  Thank you my babies for everything you do for me!!!  

HAPPY FRIDAY!

-paula

DIRECTIONS TO MAKE A SIMPLE PATIO BENCH!

This summer my sister came for her annual visit and I talked her in to helping me make a bench for the patio!  We sweat & worked our butts off but it was worth it!  The bench turned out better than I pictured and we use it all the time! 

Here's how to make it....

SUPPLIES:

TWO- 2 X 3 X 8' CUT 4 PIECES- 17 1/4" (LEGS), 2 PIECES- 9"(BOTTOM ENDS), & 1 PIECE- 40 1/2"(BOTTOM CENTER)

THREE- 1 X 4 X 6' CUT 2 PIECES 46" & 4 PIECES 12" (SEAT BASE)

TWO- 1 X 8 X 6' CUT 2 PIECES 48" LONG (SEAT)

2" WOOD SCREWS

2" FINISHING NAILS

SIX SANDING BLOCKS 

WOOD GLUE

BLACK PAINT OR STAIN

POLYURETHANE- 2 COATS

DIRECTIONS:

I HAD ALL OF THE WOOD CUT AT HOME DEPOT WHICH MADE IT SO MUCH EASIER FOR MY SISTER AND I SINCE WE DO NOT LIKE USING THE SAW!

SAND ALL OF THE PIECES!!

GLUE AND NAIL TOGETHER THE SEAT BASE (TWO 46" PIECES AND TWO 12" PIECES)

NEXT ADD GLUE TO THE REMAINING 12" PIECES AND NAIL THEM TO THE BASE FOR SUPPORT SPACING THEM EVENLY.

GLUE AND NAIL DOWN THE 48" PIECES (SEAT)

TURN THE SEAT UPSIDE DOWN AND ADD THE FOUR LEGS & SCREW THEM IN

TURN THE BENCH BACK OVER AND SCREW THE TWO 9" BOTTOM ENDS BETWEEN THE LEGS...MEASURE TO MAKE THEM EVEN!

SCREW THE 40 1/2" PIECE TO THE BOTTOM ENDS AND PAINT OR STAIN AWAY!

MY SISTER MADE THE BEAUTIFUL CUSHION TO COMPLETE THIS PERFECT BENCH!

THIS WAS SO EASY TO MAKE THAT NEXT YEAR WE HOPE TO MAKE A FARMHOUSE TABLE!!  ;) 

HAPPY CRAFTING!

-paula

Summer Break is O V E R & I am emotionally drained WITH ALL THE BACK TO SCHOOL HAPPENING!

Hello!!!  First of all, I am so sorry if anyone has been peeking in & not getting anything new from us!  I have honestly just been lazy!  It got a little crazy for awhile having house guests and going on road trips but I was really just being lazy!  

So much has happened since my last blog!  My sister, mother & nephew came for a week long visit. We went to San Diego and oh my word do I have so much to tell you about that trip!!!  WE LOST MAXIMUS AT THE BEACH, THE VERY CROWDED BEACH!!!  It's a long story but the important thing is we found him safe and sound!!  Jordan came home for ten days, it happened so fast I want to cry thinking about what we didn't get to do!!  Madden started preschool and Maximus started kindergarten (5days a week 8:30-3)!!!  I am emotionally drained from all of this and today Matthew turned seventeen.  He starts his senior year in high school next week and I just want to sit down and cry.  He has grown up so fast I do not want to think about him going away to college and becoming a house guest...

On a happy note, Maximus has been taking his lunch to school and I have been having a lot of fun packing his lunch with love and all of his favorite foods.  If you have a fun way to pack lunches please share as I want everyday to be a surprise in his lunch box!

Madden learned the song "were going on a bear hunt" and he loves singing it over and over, it is so so cute!!  He cried and hid under the slide his first day but on his second day he wanted to leave early and could not wait to get to preschool.  I feel so fortunate that he has such wonderful teachers watching over him!

Matthew is taking an ACT class in hopes that he can raise his score ten points!!!  Please pray for him as he takes his second ACT test on Sept. 10th!!!

I don't talk about him much but my husband is getting hotter and hotter the older we get!  He bought himself a new shirt (picked it out all by himself) and when he wore it for the first time I just melted!  I love that he still makes my heart skip a beat <3

So that's it for today, I hope to get back to blogging at least a few times a week, it feels good and I really have so much I want to share!!

Have a wonderful weekend & hug your children so much they complain!!!  =)

-paula