Busy Saturday

My work has a Season of Sharing. We "adopt" children and purchase Christmas presents and do other nice volunteer work. This year, we also were responsible for a Christmas tree at a Children's hospital. Everyone made a little snowman decoration (that was our theme) and a group of us went Saturday morning to decorate the tree.

After the tree decoration, I ran to Target to get a gift for Danielle's baby shower later that night and then headed home.

I left Joseph an item on his honey-do list; to paint the guest bedroom. His family is coming for Christmas and we are going to have his brother Michael and his wife Sarah staying with us (the rest of the family will stay in the house they still have here in Phoenix). When we first painted our house, we painted every room except the two bedrooms (one is a guest bedroom and the other is an office) and the laundry room. Painting EVERY other room in the house was just
exhausting; we had to stop somewhere and we were ready to move in already. But it looks FABULOUS. And Joseph has some mad painting skills; he refused to take the outlet covers off the wall because he can just paint around them.

Here he is painting the corner without any tape. It looks like a professional job. Just so you know, I helped when I got home. I did the baseboards, windowsill and other small areas that he couldn't get with the roller.

Just when we finished with the bedroom, we had to clean up and leave for the baby shower.
One thing I love about my department is that if there is ever a baby shower/housewarming/etc., the people really come through for you. I know they did when Joseph and I had our housewarming this summer, and they really came through for Danielle and Brannon....they got some AWESOME stuff!

Jen put the kids to work handing out the presents. Here is Danielle and Brannon, the proud soon to be parents.

After the baby shower it was kind of late, but Lowe's was still open, so we picked up our Christmas tree. I didn't get any pictures of it...I have no idea why because I am crazy about Christmas.

One blessing in disguise; I already have most of the homework for this week done because I accidentally did it two weeks ago! And while it was an aggravation two weeks ago, it is REALLY nice this weekend, because I have a test next week. I'm pretty sure having homework, a test, and my busy Saturday would just put me over the edge stress-wise.

Moving furniture

My mom and I were lugging a desk up the stairs, and as always seems to happen, in the middle of the staircase we both got the giggles.

Laughing while trying to move furniture just makes it harder. I have no idea why I always start cracking up, but I do.

So we are laughing, and my grandma is watching us stand in the middle of the staircase, holding the desk, not moving at all, and she says, "Hold on Deidre, I'll come up there and help you!"

My grandma weighs 80 pounds.

Mom and I really lost it and I had to put my end down on the stairs before I dropped it.

Sighhhhh

I do not have much time these days. I have been wondering if I bit off more than I can chew. My finance class is really tough, and the homework takes me quite a few hours to do. Well, I also signed up for a cake decorating class (which I have been wanting to do FOREVER) but the timing was just....not the best.

I didn't realize the prep work that went into a cake decorating class. You have to bake a cake, make frosting to frost the cake, and make additional frosting (in thick, medium, and thin consistencies) to then decorate the cake. It takes awhile. And since my cake decorating class is Monday nights, that night is shot for homework, so I have really been trying to manage my time.

To top everything off, I was doing my fiance homework this weekend and I was almost done....and on Monday I found out I had done the homework for week six.

We are on week four.

So. Cake decorating class Monday night. Tried to do a few problems after, ended up finishing it Tuesday night. Had to work Wednesday because of the holiday (love the paid holidays, but it screws up my schedule and I lose my Wednesdays off....if you want to know why ask me and I'll get into it further....if you don't care I won't). So I had to work today and go to school after rushing to finish my rather difficult homework last minute. I have been a bit grumpy the past few days and Joseph is such a sweetie.

The good news? I got my test from last week back and I got a 106.79%!!! Woot woot!

I am rather proud of myself.

And despite what my mother will tell you, I don't think I am smart. I just work hard.

I have pictures to post of my little stray cat I am trying to befriend (his name is Tag) and also pictures of Joseph and Patrick when they were treating the house for termites....I'll get around to it eventually.

And since the beginning of my post is a little negative and whiny, let me throw out a positive note: Robert and Patrick, you are two of my favorite people. Joseph's brother Robert came out Saturday morning and helped him rip out the backyard. Robert then stayed and helped Joseph and Patrick treat the house for termites. Two very wonderful boys.

This one's for Kristi

BlackCat Boots

Look at the little stinker.

Check out those blue eyes.

BlackCat Boots is really attached to Joseph. If I can't find him, I just look for Joseph.

He was batting Joseph's foot and challenging it to fight.

The Babies

This is why I don't get anything done and my house is a mess. Look at these cuties!

They like the crotch-area. I don't know why.

It's not just my crotch. Apparently any crotch will do.

I started laughing and they all stopped what they were doing to stare at me.

What day is it?

I am tired. I have to plan my life so far ahead that some days I think it's already Thursday....but it is Tuesday. I have a final tomorrow that I have been studying non-stop for. The stinking professor doesn't lecture; she assigns group presentations and that takes up the entire class period. I have about nine different chapters to sort through.....I have exchange rates and fiscal policy and market structure information floating around in my head right now.

And all I want to do is make booties. I have to say that I am rather proud of my self-control. I am withstanding the urge to make booties. My Mom bought a little book that has ten different bootie designs and I have made two so far. That reminds me, I have been meaning to photo copy the book so I can give it back to her.....

I have been meaning to post pictures of the booties....and the kitties for that matter....but between my busy weekend and my cramming for my final, I just haven't found the time.

I am really looking forward to taking tomorrow off and spending some time with my Mom.

More Home Improvement

Joseph and I did some home improvement this weekend.

We went to Lowe's and got two new fans. There is a lamp there that I have had my eye one for awhile, and there was a display on sale for $20 less, so I got my beautiful lamp. Joseph is modeling the lamp shade here. :)

Here is one of the old fans; we have two of these in our house and they are ugly. Plus, neither one had lights. We could have added light kits, but I didn't like the fans to begin with.

I put the first part of this fan together to be hung up. Joseph and I learned the hard way that if you drop a screw, it can fall into those little holes. We found that out when we put up Jennifer's fan. (Don't worry Jennifer, I was able to get the screw out...Almost got my finger stuck but it turned out alright.) Joseph came up with the idea to put cling-wrap on the fan, shown here.

Here is the finished product. Isn't it sooo much better?

Joseph installing the new switch, so we can control the light dimming and speed of the fan from the wall.

We had a bit of trouble with the first one...I have come to expect some sort of snag or another as we install something new. On the first fan, the plastic clip for the light kit was slightly warped. Joseph was having a really hard time getting it to connect. He was getting tired, so I gave it a try. I was struggling with it too, but in looking at it, I figured if I could get the corner in first and then stretch it out, the other little pieces would slid into place. Joseph was hovering near the foot of my ladder, saying, "I don't think you're going to get it. Let me try, you're probably tired. It's too warped to fit properly." I said, as nicely as I could, "Joseph! Could you please think positively!" He smiled and said, "You're right, I'm sorry. You will get it in."

Two seconds later the plastic clips snapped together.

The second fan went much more smoothly, and we finished it in half the time that it took us for the first.

Now, we just need to switch out the lighting in the kitchen, living room, and outside....

And I just want to take a second to express appreciation for Joseph. I had to work this Saturday, and we had friends coming over for dinner after I got off work, so I asked him to clean the house and also to fix our bedroom door.

Our bedroom door hinge is not screwed in tightly enough, and the door sags down so that you can't close it properly. We screwed the screw in tighter, thinking that was the problem, but it came back out again; the hole is too large for the screw. It has been driving me nuts since we moved in. Joseph fixed that while I was at work. He also cleaned the entire house, went grocery shopping, and made dinner.

I got such a sweetie nerd-boy Handyman. :)

I would like to add, that I don't usually have a honey-do list for Joseph, because we do it together. I think we are a good team.