The "Pre- Disney Trip"

Where in the world would you take two little girls as a "pre Disney World" trip?

Um, that doesn't look particularly kid friendly....

Whooo hooo, now it does! Welcome to the Cabbage Patch Kids Baby Hospital where all Cabbage Patch Kids are born! Back a long time ago when I was a little girls I LOVED Cabbage Patch Kids so I was almost giddy as we drove up. Such fun to be the mom of girls!

About to go inside!

Matney was too excited to sit still!

The nurses walk around with the new babies and let kids rock them. Matney was very eager to hop in the rocking chair!

Time for another baby to be born. Here he comes out of the cabbage patch.

This is the doll Matney fell in love with first. She was a pigtailed red head dressed in pink ruffles from head to toe. She was big and all cloth just like the original dolls. I had a big one like that too, named Honey, and it was so much fun to watch Mat carry this one around.

Halle Kate fell in love with this guy. Why? He was wearing dinosaur jammies, of course!

What's Jared looking so excited about holding this doll? Who is she? Um, she is Monica, the doll Matney learned to love. I finally said to J that I bet the big cloth one was expensive and we should try to get M to find something else. There are dolls in and out of boxes everywhere and kids are encouraged to hold any of them. Smart marketing...the big cloth dolls are $295. This is J proudly showing off Monica in the checkout line. She seemed like a bargain at $40.

 We realized after our experience with Matney that the dolls to pick up and carry around were far more expensive than the dolls in boxes or small guys in bins. Luckily, we went here after the animal place so HK was in an animal mood. We were able to get her hooked on this little tiger saving Jared another chunk of change not buying dino boy!

Matney was determined to carry the big bag.

We went outside to rock our babies.

Super Dad rescuing Monica.

Welcome to the family - we have another Miss M. She has gone EVERYWHERE with Matney for a week. The first few nights her ballerina slippers came off in M's bed during the night and caused some serious screaming. I am not a fan of putting slippers on in the middle of the night so J was smart enough to say that Monica has to sleep in socks at night. Shew! This Mama needs her sleep! 

We also found out that they do birthday parties! If you are friends of ours be expecting an invite to drive to the Cabbage Patch in the mountains for a party if it isn't crazy expensive! 

And this? See those cars pulled over? Long story short J took a not exactly wrong way but extra LONG way to go home. Every one in front of us was going SO SO SO SLOW and we kept thinking that people in the "country" sure couldn't drive on the road. I'd been having some stomach issues and wasn't feeling well and we were stuck going 20 on the back roads. I was not happy. I was even more not happy when we came over a big hill and realized WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LONG FUNERAL PROCESSION. All those country folks were being respectful enough to pull over for us...and all I wanted was civilization and a bathroom...so I took a picture. It wasn't funny at the time, and I'd forgotten about it until I just saw this picture, now I have been laughing out loud. Geeez! What a fun day with a strange ending!

Chestatee Wild Animal Reserve

We headed north last Saturday for a beautiful day outside with some animals.

Halle Kate, please point to the zedonk. What? You don't know what a zedonk is?

Oh, half zebra and half donkey - a zedonk!

Matney, do NOT put your hands through the fence.

Why? Because chickens will bite. We bet the tutu you insisted on wearing makes your finger feel better.

The girls headed to see the lion with Daddy.

Such a beautiful creature but so sad to see him behind bars.

There is a camel in the back of this picture but you can't really see him.

Zedonk brother.

 We took a break to swing on the horse swing.

Ok, the girls took a break to try out all the swings. Jared pushed them while Mama napped on a rock!

Such a cute swing made from a tire.

Such a sweet ape. He really enjoyed sticking his tongue out and making a clicking sound that Matney is doing now. Matney's teacher told her she was going to go nuts if it didn't stop soon! We had such a good time seeing the animals that I didn't take a ton of pictures. There are bears, tigers, more monkeys, deer, alligators, birds and all sorts of other guys that live here.

Just Duh!

Do not EVER melt chocolate and turn your back when there are little girls nearby.

I've been a mom for more than 3.5 years. Duh, Stacey. Just duh.

Rock Star Dad

The Heald house has been rocking and rolling for the past few months and Jared has been one hardworking handyman husband. What's he working on out in the yard?

Ta da! His very own man cave space shed. Isn't that impressive?!?! It is a 6x8 space for lots of his yard tools and things (who am I kidding, I don't do much, ok any, yard work so I have no idea what all is in that shed!). It is a big space that the girls were sad to find out was not a new big playhouse for them!

Lots of room and shelves and hooks. We spent all day cleaning the garage today and there was a lot more room now that the yard stuff is out.

He read a lot of books and planned the whole thing. Um, I could read every book in the world and would end up with the most unlevel, leaking, falling apart shed ever built. Jared is such a stubborn smart and determined man. He wanted a shed and by gosh he built one!

My car window stopped working when picking the girls up from school on Thursday. Long story short the car place we always use didn't fix the window, my rock star husband did (for much less money too!). I love feeling taken care of and Jared has become such a handy hubby my expectations are skyrocketing!

Door totally taken apart. I was only slightly concerned that it wouldn't ever go back together!

And while the Rock Star hasn't been fixing my window, building his shed or making my craft table he's been Disney World Dad again with his princesses.

 The girls LOVE to go on adventures with Daddy. He makes up fun stories and they can play for hours. This day they went on an adventure in the backyard. At this time Jared was the King riding his royal steed, Matney was a princess on a unicorn and HK was riding a dinosaur. ha! Never a dull moment with that kid!

Here we are at the Wild Animal Preserve in North GA. I'll post more pictures of that trip soon - we had another super special surprise after we left the animals.  Jared came home last Friday night and said let's take the girls to see animals tomorrow. See, I am a planner. I need trips more than 20 minutes away on my calendar weeks in advance, not just a few hours. But Jared balances me well and off we went the next morning. He's Disney Dad I tell you, with spoiled semi-rotten girls! We are such blessed females!



Don't Cha?!?!?

Don't Cha wish your husband was hot like mine?

Don't Cha wish your husband was handy like mine?

Don't Cha?

Don't Cha?

Ha! Ok, so the majority of you won't recognize those lyrics but those are new lyrics to some crazy song that says don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me.....". And you are all totally about to be jealous of me when you see what all my husband has been up to...just for me (and he's not even finished but I'm so excited I can't stand not showing off!!!!)

So, we started with this upstairs in the loft between our bedroom and Matney's room. Boring and crammed full of all my craft junk.

All the craft mess loaded dumped out. It was a disaster!

A big huge disaster....but what is that along the wall to the right?

 Is it a bed?

Is it a puppy dog princess cave?

AGH!!!!!!!!!!!! IS IT THE START OF MY VERY OWN CRAFT DESK!?!?!?!? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here we are a few days ago! WHOOOOO HOOOO!!!Let me just tell you that there have already been changes since this picture was taken. I have a drawer in the middle so there is nothing on the ground now. We added a shelf to the pegboard, my stool is in the knee space and J's working on another shelf to put closer to the ceiling! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!?!?

Seriously, I NEVER dreamed I'd have my own space like this. I am more than in love and enjoying every minute of putting it together!

My Cricut and laminator are out and plugged in ready to go. No more digging them out of boxes. I've got hammers, levels, screwdrivers, every kind of tape and scissors right here!

I picked a fun print fabric to match the teal paint and just covered random boxes. This is the same teal that is across the hall in the girls' bath so it does (somewhat) flow upstairs. I wanted fun colors and I got them!

Jared and I talked about exactly what I wanted to do with the desk and he built it to specifically hold what I needed. First, it is almost 36" tall so I can stand up and it is the perfect height to work. The far right has shelves that perfectly fit all my containers for paper. Then there are tall skinny shelves for books and a big box of paint stuff. The middle has a drawer (not shown) with all my pencil/pen/calculator, etc odds and ends. I put a tension rod at the top of the knee space with a basket so one extension cord is plugged in and goes into the basket. Then I ran all the cords from things plugged in into the basket so there is no tangle of cords at my feet for the girls mess with. The left side has my paper cutter, sewing machine, fabric supplies, stamps, Cricut stuff and more....Oh my goodness, it is incredible!

And see the under shelf lighting shining on my ribbon? I've got lots of curly ribbon and twine on a rod at the top. Now all my packages can be extra pretty and easy!

On the top I spray painted $1 Halloween baskets pink and made them labels. Thank goodness for a laminator! Now only will they not get wrinkled but I can easily switch what is in the containers. I've got glue sticks, tags, LOTS of Sharpies (I'm a Sharpie addict!), scissors and paint brushes all hanging up. Then all kinds of adhesives are in a hanging basket - my glue gun and Mod Podge out and ready? Yes please! I added a few cute frames that still need pictures and a shelf that is now holding little glass bottles with fun pretties!

We are still working on the shelves above but I went to IKEA and now have my buttons, ribbon, flowers, and other colorful things in glass containers. OH MY! I know everyone has different things they enjoy doing so I don't expect you all to want this desk but for me it is incredible! I LOVE making things, for our family and for other people. To be able to run upstairs and make a cool gift in a fun package for a friend makes me so excited. Jared has worked SO HARD making it perfect for me and I am soooo thankful.

And now I just need to stay out of Michaels Craft Store. Anyone been in there recently? My car tries to drive there automatically anytime the girls are not with me. Martha Stewart just released her new line of paints and OH MY WORD. Plus there is a kit you can buy to make any of her craft paints into spray paint. I drool! Let me just tell you that I love, heart, adore and am slightly obsessed with spray paint and finding fun colors is not easy. And the new stencils? Fabulous! I am thinking of maybe doing a fun design around the edge of the top of the craft desk. What do you think? Dear Santa please plan on stopping your sleigh at Martha's on your way to my house!