Please go and read this powerful post...

Our VA Home

We decided to paint in this house. We've never done it before but we really wanted this place to feel more like a home and none ever really did with the white walls, they just felt transitory (is that a word?). Especially with this being an older house it really needed to be pumped up. We got the three main rooms done before the furniture showed up and have slowly done the others. We still are deciding whether we're going to paint our room and the upstairs bathrooms but we'll get there. Here are pics of what we've done so far.
We used 'Betty Ross House' blue in the living room. Before we got everything in it looked pretty bright but it's a nice pop with everything in there. I really love it. I put up our 'where we've lived' posters above the TV. And the family pics we took in Hawaii over the book case. I'll add some of the ones I shared in the previous post up there when I make hard copies.
Seating in the living room. Kat Reeder art to the left and Heather Brown art to the right. Both outstanding Hawaii artists. I was waiting for a few pieces when this was took
The computer area and Eric's "I love me" wall. We're hoping to get a new file cabinet soon, make the area look more cohesive.

This is a close up of my Kat Reeder wall. I've just found 2 new ones of her that I'll hopefully be adding to the collection soon.
We used a tan in the downstairs half bath. We put up some old pin-up style recruitment posters and got some corner shelves to show off some of Eric's Marine Corps nutcrackers. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

We used a dark olive green in the dining room and put up the Hawaiian god illustrations I have. We'll eventually get some frames for them but they're on odd size so it'll take a while. We may eventually rearrange the picture layout to fit in some shelves to showcase our crystal and all our ball mugs.
Dining and Entryway. I am planning on stripping and resurfacing that dresser which Eric's Aunt Minnie gave to us. Not sure when I'll get to it but I'm excited for the challenge.

Our entryway. We went with a colonial gray. It's one of my favorite colors in the house.
Joey picked out a lavender for her room and both girls have glitter stirred into the paint. It's really pretty on the walls. Jo said her room was 'just bootiful' when we were done. Made all the hard work worth it.

Ryelie went for 'Lucky Clover' in her room. We're looking for more posters and a new bed, so Jo can have Rye's. Rye made it clear she wanted NO GIRLY COLORS! Greens and blues. We might be able to get some purple but definitely no pink. *sniff sniff*

Missing Hawaii...

We left the islands about 3 months ago and I have to say that today I am missing them. BIG TIME! I'm not sure why, it's not particularly cold today or too humid...I'm just missing the relaxing atmosphere and the scenery. I'm seriously tearing up looking at pictures from our time there. *sigh* I'm not quite sure what to do with these feelings. A friend from there, that also moved away, told me that she misses it at least once a day and shared this quote with me:

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." ~Dr. Suess

It's so true but it only helps me a tiny bit. Part of me really wants to go back....and if it weren't for the schooling there I would get on Eric to get us back there for our next duty station. But Rye already has such a hard time with school, I'm not sure that it would be fair to put her back into that. I just don't know.

Just wanted to share how I'm feeling right now. I'll post some pics in a few of the house. I need to save them to my computer from my Facebook. Be back soon.

I'm editing this to add on our last Hawaii pics that our friend Anna took for us the weekend before we left. I miss her so much.

Picture of the Day

I'm sure I won't post one everyday, but I definitely need to get back to taking more pictures. I don't think I've taken any other than on my phone for months. Here we have Jo, showing off her big girl undies and her new Olivia Tee. I hate Olivia, with a piggy vengeance. But my kid loves her. She saw this shirt today and asked for it. I had to get it for her.

Today we had a small triumph in the potty training. She actually pooped on the potty, just a little. For the last month she would only go pee. She down right refused to poop. She's say, 'Mommy, I go poop?" I'd exclaim, "Let's go in the potty!?" She'd calmly reply, "No. I just go poop in my diaper.' Let me tell you, it was frustrating to no end. True, she only got a few little pellets out today before it started hurting, she's a little constipated, so we've given her some raisins and apple juice so maybe we'll get a full one tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
As we speak, Jo is running through her gambit of excuses as to why she can't clean up the toys she threw all over the floor. Like her big sister, she can make a mess but hates to clean it up. Right now, over my shoulder I'm hearing, "my neck hurts, my leg hurts, why do i have to clean up...ow ow ow, owie" It's always something. Hah!

We're supposed to see some Hurricane Earl action tonight. I"ll take pics if I can, though we're supposed to get it pretty late tonight.