What To Do?

Remember this room?  We repainted it when Chelsea came to live with us from Florida in September of 2009.  I told her the walls were her canvas and we could paint it to suit her personality.  And so we did!

Well, it was only utilized for a short 4 months (after it was finished) as her bedroom, when she decided she needed to go home.  So it sat, unused for several months, just like this.

As the months passed, Meister began to work from home a lot and the need arose for a home office.  The solution was a no brainer, so in October, we turned this room into that home office.  With a million other projects on hand, I decided I wasn't going to repaint AGAIN.  Too much time and money I didn't really feel like spending at the moment.  So, we just moved things in.  And now it looks like this:

Yes, these pieces of furniture are waiting their turn to be refinished, but at least I had a place to utilize them until that happens!

Now, here starts my dilemma.  Meister wants to put another PC for the kids to use on the table in the picture right above.  I'm saying "NO WAY!!, we don't need a second PC."  So we've got this debate going on about why he thinks we do and why I think we don't.  I mean, one is enough, right?  PLUS he's got his laptop.  I say if he feels that we absolutely need another computer, that we buy a laptop that can go anywhere in the house and not on my pretty little table where it will mess up my decor.  He thinks the decor is useless and wants to utilize the office as an office, not as, as he put it, "A Better Homes and Gardens magazine cover".  Which, by the way, it's faaaar from!!  I do, however LOVE the table and painting I found at DI!!!  Anyway, WHAT DO I DO???  Do I keep fighting to keep the decor, or do I give in and let him put a second PC there?  I'm not a right fighter, but I really don't see the sense in another PC when a laptop would be so much more versatile!!!!!  Honestly, people, what's your opinion?  I need some advice.  Do I need to back off and find a new home for my awesome junk? 

I forgot....

to post pictures of the festive, coordinating trees in the kids' bedrooms.  Shame on me.

Emmy's Tree

Todd, Dylan and Landon's Tree

December Coziness

Anyone who knows me, knows that I decorate for Christmas EARLY! Generally, my house is all decked out by mid November. So many people give me a hard time about it and about the fact that I completely skip Thanksgiving. But that's just not the case. Here, in the Morgan home, Thanksgiving is all wrapped up in and included in Christmas. It's like the kickoff celebration to the season! The fact that I'm all decorated for Christmas doesn't mean that I'm less grateful for all that I have been blessed with on Thanksgiving. I just find GREAT joy and happiness in having my home all cozied up and decorated for the holidays. And I (really, I'm speaking for my whole family, so I guess I should say WE) like to enjoy it for longer than a month. Everyone that enters my home comments on how cozy, happy and festive it is. You just can't help but be happy!  And you'll notice that we keep the lights low all the time so we can enjoy the glow of the lights and candles.  So, without further ado, here are the pictures.

The Living Room

 (or the Great Room, which ever you call it)

The Family Room

This is the view from the family room, looking down the hallway.  It also happens to be my favorite place in the house to read, relax, think, de-stress, whatever.  Especially because I can sit and stare at my Wall O' Mirrors, totally inspired by Mandi, who is a ROCKSTAR when it comes to making beautiful things out of junk!

This is standing on the flip side of the last picture, by the stockings.

The Buffet

Believe it or not, the kids really don't devour all this candy.  They've been very good to ask first.

I haven't cut the vinyl yet to finish my little candy sign.  Hopefully I'll get around to it before the end of the season.

I blinked...

...and November is gone.  WHAT.THE.HECK!!!!!

We had such a busy month that I just didn't have a whole lot of time to blog.  So here are the highlights of our month.


November 4:
Landon's Birthday!
We flew home from Florida on Landon's birthday this year. For some reason, this birthday of his has hit me really hard. I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that my BABY is 7, and not so much a baby anymore.

Landon's Favorites 2010

Color:  Green

Food:  Curry Chicken

Movie:  How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3

Treat: Crunch and Kit Kat

Toy:  All of his space toys and rockets

Subject:  Art 

Music/Album:  Apollo 13 Soundtrack

November 19:

Chris' Homecoming!

Holy cow, that was a FAST two years!!  We are so grateful to his mission president for allowing him to take a 4 day detour to Utah to see us before he flew home to Florida to be released as a missionary.  Words cannot express the emotion I felt as I watched and listened to how much this young man has grown.  He has definitely made his parents proud!  (for any of you who might not know, Chris is my stepson.  I also have a stepdaughter, Chelsea.  But I don't put those labels on either one of them.  I love them like they're my own. <3)

November 29:

Todd's Birthday!

Again, here I am, wondering how in the world my first born is 14 already!!  I can scarcely believe it.  It was just yesterday that we were living in Korea, expecting his arrival.  WHAT HAPPENED?  SERIOUSLY!!

Todd and I had a fun conversation in the car tonight as we ran errands together.  He started telling me about how when he was little, he thought the purpose of traffic lights was to give your car a rest.  And he was baffled at how your car knew when to stop and when to go.  He also told me about how, as a very young boy, he used to go out into the street, when no cars were coming, of course, to the manhole that's about 4 feet from our driveway.  He told me how it freaked him out as he thought, "WOW!  I'm so far away from the driveway.  I probably shouldn't be out this far."  And then one day he got brave enough to go to the smaller manhole that's about a foot or two away from the bigger one and really felt like he was out too far.  He was so afraid a car was going to come out of nowhere and hit him.  He just couldn't imagine crossing the street all the way.  It's probably a good thing I never saw him do that or he'd have been toast!  In the end, he realized that taking that risk was just too scary and that he felt safer in the driveway.  His experience gently reminded me of how important it is not to stray from that straight and narrow path that we've been given.  We might let go of that iron rod for a minute or two, but hopefully we grab ahold again and stay in the safety zone of what we have been taught.  Afterall, the things we teach our children are for their own safety and welfare.  And so it is with our Heavenly Father and us.

Todd's Favorites 2010

Color:  Blue

Food:  Curry Chicken

Movie:  Undecided

Book:  Hunger Games

Treat:  Fast Break

Toy:  Electric Guitar and Cello

Subject:  Orchestra

Song/Album:  Limelight by RUSH

  We had a great Thanksgiving this year, but for whatever reason, I wasn't in a picture taking mood that day.  I know I'll regret that someday.  I already do.  It's not like me not to take pictures.  I just wanted to enjoy the day with my family and my awesome in-laws!!  Hehehehehe..and then...I went to BLACK FRIDAY that night at midnight with my sister!!  That's ALWAYS a good time and has become a fun tradition for the 2 of us. 

FLORIDA, Baby!

On October 27, we embarked on our first major family vacation to Florida.  I'm so glad we waited until now to do it.  The kids had a so much fun and will remember it FOREVER!!!!!  Rather than write out a big, long run down of the trip, I'll just post some of my favorite pictures and caption them.  I don't know how I'm going to pick which ones to post though......I took 1,020 pictures.  Let's see how this goes.

DAY 1

The morning we left, we woke up to 2 1/2 inches of snow, and still falling.  It was hard to know how to dress the kids because we knew on the other side of our plane ride, we'd be roasting!!

Being the kids' first time on an airplane, I insisted that we be the last off the plane, in  hopes of snapping a picture with the Captain (since when are they not called pilots??).  She was so enthused to know that she had flown them on their maiden flight and was so excited to have Dylan and Landon sit in the cockpit!!!  She even put her Captain's jacket on Landon for this AWESOME photo op!!!!! 

DAY 2

First time at the beach.  They were so funny to watch and listen to as they experienced their first waves and the sensation of motion that came with it.

Don't judge me, but this was one of those moments when I, the BIGGEST cry baby in the universe, got teary as I watched my kids having the time of their lives!!

Chris and Chelsea perfectly perched up in the corner was actually not planned, but I'm glad they're in the picture too.  =)

My babies' toes

 DAY 3

Disney World!  This is one of TWO pictures that I am in the entire trip!  I won't bore you with the rest of the pictures, you just needed to know that we went.  You've probably already seen them on Facebook anyway.  =)

 DAY 4

Due to BLISTERS on my toes from Disney, we decided that we were going to take it easy and hang out at the resort on Saturday.  

Since we had such a tight schedule, and didn't plan on trick-or-treating, I dressed my little spooks up the day before Halloween, JUST so I could take pictures of them in their costumes in Florida!!

Then they washed their make-up off and we hung out at the pool for the rest of the afternoon.  Check out Chris sitting in the background.  WTH, man!!  We're in FLORIDA for cripes sake, it's a GORGEOUS 80 degrees and he's in LONG pants and a LONG sleeved shirt.  (Eyes rolling, HARD!)

Saturday evening, we got to go see Todd and Pam (Chris' brother, as if you couldn't tell.  They're practically twins!) perform at one of their local gigs!  What a treat.  They were so good!

 DAY 5

We went to the LONG AWAITED Kennedy Space Center!!!!  We chose to go on Sunday (To all of you gasping with hand over mouth and jaw on the ground, DON'T judge!!!  I'm SERIOUS, DON'T!) since the shuttle was supposed to launch the next day and we wouldn't have been able to go on Monday.  But, as pretty much expected, the launch kept getting pushed back and we didn't get to see it.  That was a pretty big disappointment for all of us.

Now, anyone who knows me and my boys (all of them, including Chris) will understand this picture!!  Dylan could NOT get his jaw off the ground when he saw this Saturn V (roman numeral for 5) Rocket!!  We are OBSESSED, to say the least, with the Apollo Space Program, that took men to the moon, at our house.  (You've seen the post on the boys' bedroom, right?!??!!)  And yes, ANOTHER teary moment for mommy.  (sheepish grin)

I really wanted to get this shot just to show how MASSIVE this rocket is.  They are standing right under those engine bells.  This little Asian couple was standing about 20 feet in front of the rocket and would NOT move until I took the picture!  Oh well, I have to chuckle now.  It's kinda funny that they're in the foreground, totally posing for me.

DAY 6 

On Monday, we went back out to Kennedy Space Center to visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame.  It was AMAZING!!  Here the kids are playing "mission control".  They sat here for almost an hour!

After the Astronaut Hall of Fame, we went to Epcot.  Honestly, it was pretty boring and not worth the money we laid down to get in.  It's changed so much since Chris and I were there last.  Oh well, live and learn.

It became the family joke that Emily traveled 3,000 miles to visit EVERY restroom in Central Florida!!  She had to pee every 5 minutes, no joke!  So I decided to take a picture. =)

DAY 7

Tuesday, we went out on some boats provided by the resort to go dolphin watching.  Unfortunately, we didn't see any, but we had fun island hoping.  THIS picture is my FAVORITE from the entire trip.  My heart be still. <3

It was another beautiful day!

That evening, we hooked up with the fam for a pizza bonanza on the pier and then headed over to the Sandbar to listen to the live band playing.

 DAY 8

Our last play day in Florida we decided to go to the beach again.  We were just ahead of a storm blowing in, but it was still a gorgeous day.

I think they forgot all about being afraid of what might be lurking in the water!

The waves got HUGE as the storm got closer.  They had so much fun playing in them.

OH MY!!!  Looky here....the second and final picture of me in Florida!!  I had to do this self portrait just to prove that I was indeed part of this trip.  =)

You can't go to Cocoa Beach and not hit up Ron Jon's Surf Shop!!

And there you have it folks.  Our 9 day vacation in Florida, in a tiny nutshell.  I didn't take any pictures the last day, which also happened to be Landon's 7th birthday, because we were busy cleaning up the condo and packing to fly home.  I was too exhausted to take pictures on the airplane.  We had the time of our lives, but were so glad to be back home in the comfort of our own beds!!!!