Our new house...

No, we didn't buy a new house... but my house has changed forever… from now until I die our home will be not just be Mike and I’s… it will be our family’s!

Now, it’s a place for Maddie to explore, discover, learn new thingsWhen she’s in elementary school it will be a safe, familiar spot When she’s in high school it will be her domain, her room will be her spaceWhen she’s in college it will be the place she longs for and to break free from all in the same breathWhen she’s an adult with a family of her own it will be where she comes for holidays and vacations

How am I going to make our home a happy, joyful, kind, respectful place? I am so thankful for a wonderful community of young moms a Watermark who help me with very practical tips… if you want to check out the Building Blocks message on creating harmony in your home (because as women, wives and mothers we really do set the tone for our homes!) it’s right here: http://www.watermarkradio.com/ click on the parenting section and it’s under the 2011 Building Blocks Series

On a shallow note here are some other things that have changed around here:

-There are toys EVERYWHERE! I mean not just in the new play room (pictured below...which used to be a formal dining room…bye bye Thanksgiving dinners!) I mean everywhere. I can’t walk in a room without finding a toy!

-Our guestroom bathroom is now Maddison’s… there is a baby tub, a pink and brown stripped curtain and a painting with birds on the wall… sorry guests!

-There is a high chair at our table with 5 half chewed/slobbered on Happy Baby puffs in the seat and a variety of homemade baby food splattered all over it (it’s impossible to keep clean!)

-I have two drawers dedicated to bibs and burpcloths and one full cabinet that's home to 10 bottles, 2 sippy cups, 10 bowls, 8 spoons, some back up jarred babyfood, Plum Baby Oatmeal and three containers of Similac Advance in my kitchen... not to mention the counter space for a bottle drying rack... oh and half of my freezer that's full of Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Broccoli, Peas, Carrotts, Mango, Blueberries, Cherries, Avocado, Pears and Peaches lovingly steamed and pureed by yours truely!

-Instead of just housing our lawn equiptment, our garage now has to find room for a jogging stroller and two bikes with a baby trailer.

But guess what: I wouldn’t trade it for a single day without my sweet Maddison! I'd happily live in a toy house with a pink bathroom with babyfood splattered everywhere and no counter or freezer space if Maddison lived there too! Can you tell that I am just head over heels in love with this little girl? :)

Speaking of the play room, I am working on a new art project… I am looking for a black board (anyone know where I can get one cheap?!) to put on the wall so we can start learning (silly I know, but it’s never too early!) and I am going to surround the black board on both sides with canvases that have ABC and 123 on them. Here’s the colors I’m going for… I think it’ll look pretty cool with the contrast of the black board and our tiffany blue walls! Since Mike and I are trying to really live on a budget rather than just track our spending (novel idea right!) it’s a slow work in progress… but thanks to Hobby Lobby always having something I need 50% off and their 40% off coupons, we should be done by May!