Do It Yourself

I've had lamp envy for awhile now.  I go into Pottery Barn Kids and admire this beauty.  She seems so girly and pretty.  The problem is she costs $99! Yes, almost a 100 bucks for just the shade!  I know this is soooo not in our budget so I just sit and admire wondering how I can turn Mya's ugly duckling shade into a real beauty.

  Then, one day on a blog I read regularly, there was a tutorial on how to make a very similar lampshade for much MUCH less. It's as if Susan from Maple and Magnolia was in my very own decorating dreams. She made it seem SO SO easy and SO SO cheap! I had to try!

So.... I decided to turn this embarrassing eye-sore into my very own beauty....

Embarassingly Ugly

I went to Hobby Lobby and looked for a white rose lace. Although the Pottery Barn pink is pretty, white matches Mya's room better.  BINGO! I found it! It was a bit pricey ($4.99) a yard. BUT.... you've gotta love Hobby Lobby sales! They currently have a 40% off online coupon! YES!!! I got 5 yards for approxiately $15.  SWEET!

 I stripped Mya's current lamp of those HIDEOUS pink flowers (seriously, what was I thinking???). It didn't matter the condition of the lamp because it was going to be entirely covered. Then, I busted out my hot glue gun and went to town!

Literally 10 minutes later I had this beauty!

Now, it's not PERFECT but it is PRETTY! And.... It was MUCH MUCH cheaper!

$15 vs. $99?  I'll take it!

Veneris Family Reunion

Last weekend we went to Lake Lawn Lodge with Matt's Family.  It was so wonderful to spend time with Matt's Mom, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, and Nephews. There were 26 of us.  We had a great time talking, eating, drinking, boating, and swimming! What a great tradition that provides so many memories.

We were a little nervous upon arrival when we learned that our hotel room that we thought contained a bedrrom loft, bedroom with a door, kitchen, and living space consisted of just a bedroom loft and bed in the middle of the room! I, of course, panicked.  But, we rigged the room so that the loft would sleep both kiddos and they did GREAT! Our fabulous nephews babysat the kiddos on Friday night so we could enjoy an evening out at the resort bar.  It was a great time! Saturday was spent swimming and boating! We had perfect weather!

Mya and Luke enjoyed popcorn in bed before heading off to sleep! This was our first night and they were SO excited!

Mommy and Daddy enjoying some cocktails!

Lucky to have such a great sister-in-law!

The Boys enjoying some drinks.

All the "adult" cousins minus Eric, Amy, Nick, and Jen!

The kiddos on our morning walk to breakfast!

Daddy and Lukey on a stroll across the resort grounds.

Mya watching everyone go tubing!

Grandma bought Mya a Jasmine Look-a- like. Her name???? Jasmine.

Lu Lu ~ Our little rockstar! He was SO good!

We got all dressed up and went to...... CULVERS for dinner! We just couldn't do the lengthy dinner with the rest of the group. Maybe next year???

The kids loved riding the luggage cart while packing up to leave!

We had such a great time at Lake Lawn Lodge. It's the PERFECT place us! Can't wait until next year!

Someone came up with the BRILLIANT idea to celebrate ALL the Wiegman cousins' birthdays on one day!  It was so hard to find the time to all get together for each celebration.  This way, we all celebrate together and it's like Christmas in the summer for these kiddos!

This year, Eric and Amy hosted the party in Chicago.  We had great food, great company, and lots of fun!

My sweet, sweet Lu Lu.  Who needs toys?  Balloons kept him plenty entertained!

Ben and Drew both told me a few criteria for their gift this year....

1.) They liked money.
2.) BUT... they really liked opening a gift.
3.) They love $1 bills because a big stack of money makes them feel really, really rich!

SO..... 

Each of them got a wrapped box with 25 $1 bills spread out all over! They were SO excited!

Sweet Baby Jameson

Quentin has been riding a balance bike instead of a bike with training wheels.  Eric and Amy insisted he would go straight to riding a "big boy" bike with no training wheels. I was definitely reluctant. BUT, he got this bike at the party and was riding it like a pro in the evening! AMAZING~ I'm now a believer!!!

LOVE this picture with Granny!

Makes my heart melt.  Maybe an all-time favorite photo.

This one is pretty great too!

Mya's FAVORITE toy, a grocery car cart.  I think I'll be heading out soon to buy a second cart.  Mya and Luke fight over it daily!

Trick candles... get cha every time!

Handsome boy

Today....

Today, I treated myself to a manicure.... and a babysitter.

Today, Mya had her first day back to gymastics.

Today, Mya tried to give Momma a taste of her own picture-taking medicine.

Today, Lu Lu was as stinkin' cute as ever!

You've Got Mail!

Mya received a very special letter in the mail!  She was SO excited to see one of the recipients of her letter writing activity wrote her back! We ended up sending out 2 letters. This letter came from The Dunaways, the parents of one of my dearest friends, Kari. Upon receiving her letter, we went over who it was addressed to and who sent it. Then, it was time to open!!! Mya could hardly stand it!!!    

(My apology for the poor quality photos. I had to snap quickly from my phone!)



In the envelope there was:

1.) The sweetest letter written by Mrs. Dunaway
2.) A TON of fabulous stickers
3.) Mya's VERY OWN $1 to go to the dollar store and by ANYTHING she wants!

This was such a fun activity to do with Mya! She loved the entire process.... from writing her letter, addressing the envelope, sticking the stamp, putting into the mailbox, and then finally getting a response! SO FUN! We will definitely be doing this again! Anyone want to be pen pals???

We Work Hard for the Money....

Most everyone knows how hard my husband works.  But, I feel like perhaps I should document this in my blog because SOMEDAY we will look back at this moment in time and say, "NO WAY did he work that many hours, that many days, THAT many jobs!"

Currently, Matt works 4 jobs. Yes, 4 JOBS (2 home insurance appraisal companies, tech support at Pampered Chef, and owner of Kramerica Tickets)! He basically works morning, noon, and night. There are days we don't see him at all.  He's literally the hardest working man I know (and I was raised with an EXTREMELY hardworking dad!) 

He complains very little about the lack of sleep, time at home, and family time. Thank goodness for technology, we are able to Facetime with him each evening while he is at work (3pm-11pm).  This kids get SO excited to see his face on "tv."  They fight for the screen... Mya rambling on and on about her day and asking him over and over "What are you doing?"  Luke saying "HI!" on repeat. It melts my heart and breaks my heart all at the same time.  They miss their Daddy, but hopefully someday they will understand that he worked so hard to provide the things they need (and want). 

Facetime with Daddy... topless!

As a somewhat "single" mom, my days get very looooooong and trying sometimes.  I try to grit my teeth and go with the flow.  It's hard to complain about being tired and stressed when I know that Matt is working his tail off! I'm always looking for activities to keep us busy! I decided the other night that taking the kids on a "roadtrip" to have a dinner date with Daddy would be fun! Mya squealed with excitement and Luke squealed because Mya squealed! Matt has a set dinner time (7:30) which is past the kiddos usual bedtime. So, I snacked them up, packed their pj's, and headed for Addison.  We picked up Portillos and headed for Pampered Chef Corporate Office.  When we arrived, the kids were beside themselves with excitement! It was a great date! Matt and I even decided we should do it more often!

Dinner with Daddy at Work

Can't bring Daddy to bedtime, bring bedtime to Daddy!

We are crossing our fingers and toes that very soon, we can decrease his job load by at least 1! For now, we will keep pushing on and enjoying the little time during the week and take full advantage of our weekends together!

Long Day

It's been a very long day.....

BUTT.....

This made me smile.

Worn Out

WOW... what a weekend we had! We jammed packed a lot into our "no plans" weekend!

Matt invited our neighbors to the annual ticket holder appreciation day at Wrigley Field.  It's such an awesome opportunity for the fans to explore Wrigley.  They get to play on the field, visit the locker rooms, sit in the dugout, and meet some of the owners.  Mya's favorite part... the ice cream and bouncy house! 

 

Mya with her boys.... Gresh, Ethan, and Aiden

The annual Daddy and Mya in the dugout pic!

Lukey stayed back with Mommy! He got to eat Portillos and go shopping with Mommy and Miss Angela.

Saturday night, we had an impromptu cookout with Uncle Andy, Auntie Becky, Ben, and Drew! Sometimes it's those last minute invites that work out the best!

Mya and Auntie Becky making (and eating) some S'mores



Drew



Ben

On Sunday, we headed to the Chain of Lakes with Uncle Andy, Auntie Becky, Ben, and Drew to do some boating! It was a GORGEOUS day... low 80's and Sunny!

Lukey was sportin' Mya's new shades in the car

Mommy and her stud muffin

The Wiegman Men and their kiddos!

Mya was EXHAUSTED! Late nights, no naps, lots of sugar, and lots of activity makes for one sleepy baby girl! But, that's what summer is all about and we LOVE it!