Nothing like a little motivation

Drinking my homemade iced coffee after a mad dash around the house making it mostly presentable, I thought I'd just take a second to sit down, watch Live with Kelly (no surprise there, eh?), and reconnect with  this little blog.


There's nothing like company coming to motivate us into the "clean, organize, rearrange entire house" mode. I knew all week that I had a bunch of ideas and things I just needed to do this week, but really didn't do any of it until I got motivation last night around 9:30 PM. I give myself credit for going at it before 10:30 because come on. That is the normal bedtime and you know how the motivation hits as late as possible.


It's silly, really, how we do this. Our "guest room" has had the bed and dressers in it ready to go for people to stop by anytime, and we have had it used numerous times. Point is, it works. It does the job it is meant to do. But there was just other...stuff... that we were storing in there too. A treadmill that never gets used, my grandma's paintings that are super valuable (to me) but too big to put up in our little house, boxes of storage, all of our gift wrapping stuff, more exercise equipment. Really, it was bursting at the seams.


I have decided to sell the treadmill since I've used it maybe 5 times since getting it. It's too big and bulky and doesn't work the way I want (although it does work just fine). Mainly we just don't have room for it. Since we took it out? The room looks so much more comfortable. We also moved the bed and dressers around to maximize the floor space and leave room to get all around the bed (what a luxury!). There is even a chest that fits at the end of the bed to store our guests' luggage. Fancy pancy. Luggage storage AND a private bathroom next door? This is better than a hotel, right?


We got done before 11:00. I'd call that a win. But the best part is that I woke up motivated to keep going. I made a list last night and didn't do a thing on it this morning, but I did manage to get the rest of the place picked up (conveniently not items on the list) so that there is way less pressure to get those list items done.


I love lists and I love crossing off those pesty items, but I really hate doing them. Lucky for me, the lack of pressure that is in place now is leaving me almost...excited... to get them done. We have a lunch date and then nothing until 7:00 tonight. Our house has never looked so good! 


And just in case our guests read this...don't feel guilty. I love me some motivation and our house needed it!



Want to leave a comment? Click on the title of this post and scroll to the bottom. You'll see the comment section there. Can't wait to read what you have to say!

The biggest weekend EVER at the lake

Whoopsie, kind of forgot about this little blog this week.

This last weekend was the big Phelps Mill Festival. It's the second weekend of July every year and it's a bunch of people getting together to sell crafts, products, and delicious food. Phelp's Mill is a historical site on the Ottertail River and it just so happens that we only live a half mile away from there, so it seems to be a pretty big deal for us and our family that comes to visit (and when I say "we" I mean my parents since they are the true owners of the lake place:) ).

My hubby's mom came out to enjoy the festivities and when they were shopped out they walked around the property of my parents' lake place to try out her fancy camera. I thought that every picture was amazing, but picked a few favorites to give you an idea of what the lake place is like.

Old building in "the woods" behind the house

Lake place from the lake side... isn't it so gorgeous! So happy that my parents' found this place!

The historical "Mill". Sidenote: we also got married here. There is a park right next to it along the river and it is BEAUTIFUL.

It's not really a swimming lake, but it's gorgeous.

It was ridiculously hot this weekend, so we needed to cool down fast. Even though the water is a bit mucky and there are weeds on the shores, we skipped past them to the deeper water to soak in the cool lukewarm water. It helped so much and even though Jo's not a fan of floaty devices, she didn't complain right away at the chance to cool down.

My parents' dog, Hannah, got her swim on

Our pup, Buckley (oh....buckley) so desperately wanted to get his swim on but was afraid to come out where it was deeper. So he paced on the shore and walked in until it was up to the top of his legs. He was happy to just get wet and then lay in the grass too.

There is almost nothing better than dunking in the water when it is humid and too hot outside!

Want to leave a comment? Click on the title of this post and scroll to the bottom. You'll see the comment section there. Can't wait to read what you have to say!

Baby #2 Update

You all seem to have forgotten my last bump picture here... 20 weeks posted not so very long ago? Check it out and compare because I feel like I haven't hardly grown in the last 3 weeks!

I was wearing black then so I should have looked smaller, but maybe it's just the flattering stripes on this dress (love it - Old Navy Maternity came through).

23 weeks 1 day

I am feeling so great! This pregnancy is completely different than Josie's was. I am less swollen than I was when I wasn't pregnant after Josie and I have had no contractions at all. I am pretty sure that I was having some at this point before. My small power naps really make a world of difference and I'm working hard on drinking a lot of water.


Baby girl is moving a lot now. Of course there is a lot in the evenings when I sit down for longer period of times, but I notice it when I am driving around or even just standing still. I love that reassurance!


I tried to explain to Josie that there is a baby in my belly, put her hand there, said baby like 30 times. She laughed at me so I'm not sure she got it ;). I don't think she'll ever "get" it. Oh well, it's worth trying!


I do have a super strong craving for dark chocolate, or really anything super ridiculously chocolatey. Think brownie mix dark chocolate with chocolate chunks ice cream. If it's only a little chocolately I don't want it. I did not have this before so it's kind of strange. I also am grossed out at the thought of frozen veggies, especially broccoli. It sounds gross just like last time. Funny how some things are so definitely the same while other things aren't.



Want to leave a comment? Click on the title of this post and scroll to the bottom. You'll see the comment section there. Can't wait to read what you have to say!

Broken Hearted

It may be that I am paying more attention to the news lately, although I don't think that is the case. There have been an ridiculous amount of accidents caused by recklessness, many including drinking while driving.

Last week, a family of three was driving to visit family early in the morning (around 7:00 AM). They were hit head on by a drunk driver that was driving on the westbound highway instead of the eastbound highway. I can only imagine their immediate terror as the looked ahead of them expecting to see a car headed in the same direction as them but instead seeing someone coming straight towards them. More than likely speeding, the drunk driver probably didn't even see it coming as he obviously wasn't thinking clearly. What flashed through the family's minds, I can't even imagine.  All people involved were killed: the drunk driver, the three in the family, and the unborn baby that the woman was carrying. 

My hubby and I were talking about it last night. Can you imagine?  That family is a mirror of our own. A young couple with a toddler and another on the way all gone. It's heartbreaking.


I hate the action/sin of drunk driving. I don't hate the driver. He made a mistake, and although he doesn't have to live with it, he lost his life as well as taking the life of four others (you can bet that the life of that unborn baby counts!). My heart breaks for that man's family as well as I imagine the painful things they will hear about their son, brother, nephew, etc. 


I know people that have gotten DUI's. It's hard not judge, I won't lie, because the dangers are high and we hear so many stories about horrible accidents or situations occurring. I stress again that it is the action these people are taking that is so disappointing, that makes me sick to my stomach. I love these people dearly and their sin is no greater than mine. 


I urge you though, it's not worth it. It's just not worth it. I am sure that this man just wanted to get home, get in his own bed, sleep off his drunken "fog head" from drinking too much. He had no intention of killing anyone. He had no idea that he was so close to his end. Yet that doesn't change anything because what happened cannot be reversed. 


Dear Lord, please be with the family's of both the man and the small family. Please allow good to come from this, even though it seems impossible. Thank you for your greatness and reassurance that even though there is pain on earth, your greater picture, greater plan, is set and sealed. No matter the pain we feel here, you have given us a light, the greatest light of all in Your Son, at the end of the tunnel.

Want to leave a comment? Click on the title of this post and scroll to the bottom. You'll see the comment section there. Can't wait to read what you have to say!