Chalk Paint

This past year I have discovered the awesome-ness of Chalk Paint!!  It is so easy to work with! I have been a huge advocate of chalk paint, especially the homemade version from I Heart Naptime:

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/chalk-paint/

I have even gone so far as to educate strangers at Home Depot on how fabulous it is!  I love this because it's great for Type A mommas who don't want their furniture ruined! The more distressed the better!  Kids are really good at that!

BEFORE-kids table

AFTER

BEFORE Kitchen Table (After above)

 Piano BEFORE

 Piano AFTER

Coffee Table BEFORE

Coffee Table After

The BEST wax is Van's.  You can find it on Amazon.  It goes on so smooth, smells great, and seals the pieces nicely.

Photo dump!

So, I've been having too much fun cramming everything in the last few weeks!  Christmas came quickly this year!!

 Foster Moms Christmas Party

Wall photo in children's wing at church.  Mariah Summer 2010 and Winter 2013.  Huge difference!!

Jay made a "pirate" out of Legos and dress-up clothes during nap time one day.  Gave me quite a fright as I walked in his room!

Rides at Bass Pro before our annual Stansberry Christmas dinner at Toby Keith's.  We planned to visit Santa, but the line was wrapped around the store.  Thankfully, we hadn't mentioned that part to the kiddos.

Mariah's first elementary school Christmas party.  She has a darling class!  The performed and it was precious!!

Christmas break playtime!  (The kids love to wear Josh's old shirts to bed!)

Fos

Snow Days

We've had snow on the ground since Thursday and tomorrow marks day two of no school!  I think I'm one of the few parents that is happy to be home with the kiddos!  I love having no obligations, staying in jammies, cooking lots of food, and it's been a treat having my brother-in-law staying with us and having his girlfriend over a lot!  Fun times of late movies and junk food fests!

This is the first time all three kids wanted to be in the snow and for an extended period of time!  Jayden loved diving head first into the snow and immediately would stick his tongue out and eat it!  Too funny!

Mariah and Myles loved pelting Daddy with snowballs!

Salt dough ornament painting (with Q-tips). Kept them entertained for quite some time!  Fun, easy and not messy!  We made handprint reindeer, too, but those were mostly made by me.  They got to cut these out and paint them by themselves.  More fun for them!

Myles absolutely adores Hannah!  Pretty sure he'd try to steal her away from his uncle if he were old enough;)

So happy to have Uncle Reece back!  And, the kids are thrilled each morning when they realize that he's still at our house!!

Tomorrow, my little guy is officially FOUR!  Goodbye threes!  You will not be missed;)

Jayden is FOUR!

Can't believe my little guy is 4!  Wow!  He requested a pirate party.  It was Jake and the Neverland Pirates themed.  It was icy and snowy, so only one set of grandparents (the ones that live a block away:)) were able to make it.  But, we Skyped in the other set for present opening!

Mariah's Gotcha Day

Today was Mariah's Gotcha Day!  She was pumped!!  Gotcha Days at our house consist of singing "Happy Gotcha Day to You", donuts for breakfast and your favorite meal for dinner (home-cooked or out--we ate at home this time).  Mariah chose poppy seed chicken.  She takes a picture every year with her charger plate I made for her adoption.  And, she eats all of her meals with it, too (using it as a charger, not a plate).

Two years makes a big difference.

Donut breakfast!