The Letter D

D is for Date Night...Andy and I ventured out on our own last night for dinner and shopping.  Aunt Jody volunteered to come watch the kids.  They made homemade pizza, played, and watched a movie.  Ava and Isaiah love when Aunt Jody comes to visit.  Andy and I went to Ankeny and ate at Old Chicago.  The rest of the night was spent shopping...pretty low key...I know...but it's something we don't do often and it's a bit more relaxing when it's just the two of us.  We went to Pier One, Kohls, TJ-Max, Menards, and Target.  We didn't come home with much but the wheels have started to turn in our heads with possible summer projects...updating the kitchen.  Well at least that's what I want to do.

Here's a picture before our "big date."

D is for Dining Room...I can't tell you when the last time some of you have been over to our house.  It's been a while so I thought I'd take a few pictures to show you a few rooms in our house.  The following pictures are of the dining room with the table we got this summer.  I love it and it's just what I'd been looking for.  It reminds me of a barnwood table.  Of course those cost almost $3000.00 so I found one that reminded me of that at a fraction of the cost.

If you're wondering what that "thing" is in the middle of the table...it's just Easter eggs hanging off of some fake sticks from Hobby Lobby.

 It came with two additional sections you can put in (we only use those if we have company), 6 chairs, and a bench that matches the wood on the table.  I call it my "dream table."

D is for Downstairs...how sad that I haven't posted any pictures of our basement that we finished this summer.  I know that many of you "out of towners" haven't seen this.  Here are a few snapshots of the family room.  I'm afraid to pound nails or drill anything into the walls yet...so they're pretty plain right now.  We didn't buy any new furniture but just used bits and pieces of what we had...nothing fancy.

That's the door to the laundry/utility room.

Along this wall by the stairs we will be putting a computer table...haven't found one that I like yet.  The first door by the wall is the bathroom and the second one is the laundry room.

View into the toy room.

The kid's toy room.  Andy organized this before I took the picture...usually it's totally trashed!

Another view of the toy room.  This door leads into a big storage closet.  It goes back the whole length of the wall. 

View from the toy room into the family room.

This is the new bathroom downstairs.  It's actually pretty big.  Andy put in laminate floors that are a dark chocolate brown color.  To the left of the sink is a storage area under the stairs...this is where Andy stores my holiday decorations.  He says once it's full that's it...I'm sure I can find room somewhere else.

This is the view as you come in the door.

I'm really starting to love "old" things incorporated into new.  This is a milk crate that Andy found in his Grandpa Knaphus's chicken shed out on his farm.  If you've ever seen American Pickers...that's what I'm looking forward to doing on his farm someday.  He has so many undiscovered treasures.  I thought this was a neat piece to use for rolled up towels.

D is for Daring Disney Imaginative Play...the kids were "walking the plank" like Wendy does in the Peter Pan movie.  Andy moved all the furniture and made a "plank" that the kids were taking turns walking across.

Isaiah trying to get me with one of his Imaginext toys.

Ava and Isaiah were pretending that they were riding on "The Haunted Mansion" ride.  Andy was rocking them back and forth and spinning them around.

Here they were pretending to defeat Zerg on the "Buzz Lighyear" ride.  They were taking turns using Isaiah's lazer gun he got when we were at Disney.

Pillow fights with Daddy!

Get him Isaiah!

...and there you have it. Have a good week!

My Three Happy's:

1) "Date Night" with Andy...for those of you who are parents of small children you know that it's hard to get out and do something together. 

2) My two loves...everyday is an adventure with you!

3) Big...and I mean big snowflakes.  I know I want spring to come but we had a 30 minute or so snowfall today with these huge beautiful flakes.  This must be God's way of still showing us bits and pieces of how pretty winter can be. 

Love to you all!