Ponytails & Chocolate Milk

All 3 of my chickies are under one roof tonight. Thank you Lord. :) 

As I sit here in the quiet listening to the dishwasher hum, the crickets singing outside, and 2 out of 3 of my dogs snoring, I am thankful. This time of night is my favorite.

Earlier today I picked up my big kids from a week long river trip with their Oma. It was great being back together. We played and laughed, and Cheyenne poked at the kids the whole 2 hour ride home. She was so happy to see them.

On the way home we picked up Whataburger and I ordered Cheyenne a chocolate milk. She normally drinks regular milk at home (warmed up for about 30 seconds, yes she is a bit spoiled). 

Wyatt was shocked that I ordered it for her, I said well I want to let her try something a little different today. He said wow she is going to be like me now! ( He loves his chocolate milk extra cold, shaken very well.) 

We didn't discuss more after that, we just got home, unpacked, and were enjoying being back home. 

Daddy got home and we decided to head out for FroYo after dinner. Cheyenne had been playing outside and her hair looked so hot stuck against her neck. So I grabbed a tiny little ponytail holder and managed to get her hair up into a ponytail. 

Is that not the cutest?!

These next 2 pictures PERFECTLY sum up just how she feels about said ponytail.

OH the drama. If she could speak she would say Get. It. Out.
I just crack up so much over that little personality.

Both the kids looked at her and ooohhh-ed and ahhh-ed over it, but it was Wyatt's reaction that stood out the most to me.

Momma, I almost forgot about Cheyenne at the river.

What?

She is just so different now!

What do you mean buddy?

She is just GROWED. 

We went to the river and now I came back and she is growed. 

She has a ponytail in her hair, and she is drinking chocolate milk. 

I had to keep from laughing, only because I know his feelings. 

One day they are babies, the next they are "growed".
He has always had such a tender heart, and I know he is going to be a great Daddy one day.

My heart is so happy to have all of my babies together, and growed or not, they will always be my babies. <3 nbsp="" p="">

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Socks In The Drawer

This morning was a little rough. 

I woke up late, after a long night, and a few interruptions of sleep with the baby. 

There was ICE in Texas. My windshield was covered in it. 

We were running late getting the big kids to school. 

Taylor needed help with her shoelace that was stuck, Wyatt needed help with his jacket sleeve that was inside out. Cheyenne was crying, impatiently waiting for her milk. All within the 5 minutes that we needed to head out the door. 

I had the big kids situated and was changing Cheyenne's diaper when Wyatt came in and said "Momma..." And I admit, I snapped back at him. "What?!" I felt frustrated and tired, and pulled in 100 directions already and it was only 7:30. What could he possibly need now... 

"Thank you for putting my clean socks in my drawer."

My heart instantly melted. All of my unnecessary stressing just left in that moment. God was using my little 6 year old sweet-hearted boy, to speak to me. 

All I could say was "Thank you sweet boy. You are very welcome."

Quick side note on the laundry situation in our house. I can wash and dry clothes like my life depends on it. I can even sort them into prospective piles. Towels and sheets have a basket, regular clothes have a basket. The kids even are old enough now to help me sort everyone's own pile. The part that falls behind for me is the PUTTING AWAY part. We have piles everywhere. On top of the dryer, at the foot of the beds, on the couch.... Usually if someone comes to me and says - have you seen my __________(insert clothing item here)? I answer with... Have you checked the pile? My kids and husband are all gracious enough to not complain, they just go to digging. 

I am working on better execution of this whole laundry putting away business, but it's a work in progress. There are those days though, (like yesterday), when I get the clothes all folded, and actually put in their rightful place. And the couple of days that follow afterwards are AMAZING! I never have anyone comment on it though, until this morning. 

My sweet boy showed me wisdom and grace beyond his years. He showed me how to be thankful for the little things. He showed me how to show kindness and thankfulness even in the small moments. 

So today I am thankful for a warm house, and to be able to be home with my baby to enjoy it. I look forward to picking up my big kids from school in a couple of hours, and spending the weekend at home with my family. 

Bald Heads & Baby Feet

There is just something about a baby on their tummy checking out the world. When I look at Cheyenne I get to reminisce on my favorite parts of Taylor & Wyatt being a baby -- and get to enjoy them all over again.

Cheyenne is now 3.5 months old and she is loving her time on her tummy with her toys. She scoots herself sideways and back and forth. She talks to her toys, and makes the most adorable growling sound to talk.

Can you even handle that adorable foot in the air...

Life is sweet. I cannot believe in 2 weeks she will be 4 months old. Soaking in every minute.

Life With A 5 Year Old Big Brother

This morning Wyatt woke up and came into the living room where I was feeding Cheyenne. He is usually my first one up, and I enjoy the chats that we have on the couch just him, me, and the baby. He usually talks about a dream he had, or talks about how Cheyenne is growing. 

I was done feeding Cheyenne, and she was up on my shoulder burping. Wyatt asked if he could hold her. I said sure let me make sure she burps first and then you can have her. 

Usually I check with him to wash his hands, and I guess he was anticipating that, because he beat me to the punch with a hilarious statement.

"Since I just woke up, I don't need to wash hands."
I said ok...
He continues on to say
"Ya, as long as you just wake up and haven't gone outside, and you haven't picked your nose, then it's fine to hold the baby..."

And there you have it. 

If you haven't picked your nose this morning, you are welcome to hold my baby. :-D

In all seriousness, look at them. So much love in that sweet boy's heart. I am truly thankful.

The Night Before Baby

I can hardly believe it. The day is finally here. Tomorrow we get to meet our precious Cheyenne Grace. We go from a family of 4 to a family of 5. 

We are going to the hospital in the morning for a scheduled induction. This is different for us. With the first two kids, labor started on it's own so there was the element of surprise and unknown. With this one, knowing that we are going to wake up tomorrow and go have a baby... It's a crazy feeling. One minute it feels like a normal night. The next, I think oh man it's here!

We are so excited, John and I have cleaned and organized about as much as we can. The kids are at a super high energy level and so thrilled. 

In my last post, I mentioned Taylor has not talked about the baby as much as Wyatt has. Tonight though, she can't stop. :) She came home from school and told me "pretty much everyone at school knows I'm going to have a baby sister tomorrow." She has been practicing rocking, burping, singing to her babies. It's almost 11 and I found her in her room making cards for her little sister. And earlier she wrote this in her journal. My heart melts. 

So much love. 

We all can't wait to meet you Cheyenne Grace. 

❤

"I Love You Cheyenne"

So, it has been a LONG while since my last post. A very long while. However, I stumbled across a few posts that popped up on my "Facebook memories" and it made me miss writing. I miss journaling about the kids, and I really want to slow down a little to notice and remember different things that are going on. 

I say I want to slow things down as we are about to welcome our third little one, ha! We will see if I can keep up with blogging with a newborn in tow. :) She is part of the inspiration TO slow down though. I don't want to rush through life and miss it. Does anyone relate?

I have a few things I am changing up with the layout and the design of the blog, but if I keep waiting until it is "ready" I might not ever get a post out. So bear with me, as I will be making a few changes to it in the upcoming weeks! 

This picture right here is where I want this year's blogging to start.

This moment captures an entire 9 months of a story to tell. 

Wyatt placing his little hand on my belly and saying "I love you Cheyenne."

My heart melts. Both the kids have been so excited for the new baby. Taylor is thrilled to have a little sister that she can share her clothes with, and play dolls and barbies and princesses with. 

Wyatt is excited too, but he expresses it in a totally different way. When you talk about Cheyenne he gets this grin on his face, beaming ear to ear. He puts his hand on my belly and tries to figure out exactly which way she is laying. In the mornings before school he gives me a hug first, and then always gives Cheyenne a hug. He tells me "you take care of that baby while I am at school." 

I always knew I wanted to have my kids close in age so that they could grow up together and experience the same things at the same time. I honestly worried a little about having a bigger age gap between them and Cheyenne. But I will say having them a little older now, watching them throughout this whole pregnancy has made me so grateful and happy. They are so involved and I love that they get to really understand what is happening. God is so good, and I cannot wait to see them get to meet her for the first time. All of us for that matter. :) 

My Sewing {Room} -- A Look At The Pink Rose Boutique

Tonight I want to share a few pictures of where The Pink Rose Boutique orders are filled! 

I am very happy with my space, and it is the perfect atmosphere for me to create and spend my day! 

My sewing "room" is actually what would be the breakfast area off my kitchen. We never used it, as we only have one table in the living/dining area. Previously, we had our deep freezer and the dog cage set up there. (I personally like the remodel! ;)) Coco never used her cage, and the freezer got moved to the garage! 

Welcome to -- The Pink Rose Boutique!

This is seriously my happy place. I LOVE windows and natural light, so I love the fact that I have the bay windows there. It is also convenient that the kids playground is right outside this window, and there is a side door (hidden from your view) that I can open, and watch the kids play while I sew!

This is where most of the work happens. I have my sewing machine, my iron, calendar, and white board! Orders get printed and hung on the board, along with important reminders and shopping lists. I also have a lovely picture up that Taylor drew me, that shows her and myself and it says "momma & taylor sowing"  Love. 

OH and we must not forget my pink chair! Christmas present from my parents, I LOVE it. 

Another view of my area. I include this view because notice the papers along the counter towards the kitchen sink? This is usually my assembly line area. I lay out the current invoices for the day, cut and prep fabric pieces and patterns, and lay them in a row, ready to sew. My sewing room quickly advances into the kitchen, and I am thankful my husband is pretty patient with it! He just moves on to one small corner of the kitchen if he wants to fix himself something. ;) There is also an island in the kitchen (to the right of this picture, not shown) and that is where I lay out my cutting mat and cut all the fabrics! An island is so convenient for cutting, because I can move the fabric freely from left to right, and not be constricted in any of my movements. Who said islands were just for cooking? :)

My dress form and my fabric cabinet! (On the book case to the right, you can also see my scrap fabric collection, and other sewing supplies and scissors.)

My husband is amazing. I told him I wanted a cabinet that was farm house looking, and functional. So he built me this! I love the chicken wire on the doors, and I love all the shelf space. (Although, I am thinking I might need a second cabinet soon!)

In it I store my fabrics: cotton, specialty, and minky, my shabby flowers and headband supplies, t-shirts, and shipping supplies! Organization makes me HAPPY.

Color coding also makes me happy! ;) 

Threads up on the wall, and on the book case here I have my velcro and elastic, and a collection of buttons and vintage sewing materials collected from both sides of my family. 

I got to spend more time with my Grandma Wetz learning how to sew, she was the inspiration for my shop. You can read that story here. And that is why I included a pink rose in the box there. The buttons and embroidery hoop were also hers.

 My Great Grandma Victoria, from my mom's side of the family passed away when I was a young, but I still have enough memories of her to know she was an AMAZING lady. She had 12 children, and raised them in a tiny farm house, raising pigs and growing corn. I can remember running through her house, eating homemade tortillas, and running outside with my Grandpa in the fields. 

If Grandma wasn't cooking (which she did from sun up to sun down) she was quilting. She had quite a talent, and now that I am older and a seamstress myself, I can appreciate her quilts even more. She hand quilted NUMEROUS quilts. All different kinds of designs and prints. My grandma and my mom have quite a few that I would love to photograph and share with you one day. I think of both of my grandmother's when I see this part of my sewing room.

That about wraps up my little tour! I enjoy sharing with you what goes on
behind the scenes of my computer! So many customers that I get the chance to connect with over the internet, I like to try and give you a picture of my little business!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day! :) 

Life Lately...

ONE YEAR since my last post! OMG! ONE WHOLE YEAR!

That makes me a little sad... I will tell you, my previous post about my shop The Pink Rose Boutique?

THAT is a big part of why I have not blogged... It has been sooo busy! I am very thankful to God for blessing my business. It has been so much fun, and a very wonderful journey. I am excited to see where it is going to continue!

What exactly do I want to share today? 

Life lately. 

Taylor is 6, and Wyatt is about to turn 4. 

Taylor is still dramatic, theatrical, and very sensitive. She loves with her whole heart, and she is obsessed with all things FROZEN!

Wyatt is adventurous, loves animals and the outdoors, and he is a total MOMMA'S boy. I have to stop and remind myself that one day he will outgrow it, and honestly, I get very sad to think about that day. But really my boy, I can go to HEB for an hour, and I PROMISE I will come back. I'm not going to run away.......

We sold our property and we are currently looking for land or a new home!

Taylor only has 1.5 more weeks left of dance class before her FIRST recital, and she has her FIRST field trip next month. I am so proud of her.

I am truly in love with my job. I get to SEW for a living! :) I get to stay home with my kids, wrap up the work day by 3:30 to get to the post office, and pick up Taylor from school! 

Afternoons are spent playing outside, gardening, and riding the horses. 

My handsome husband repainted our house and planted some grass in the front yard. (before and after will be shared later. ;))

I enjoy sitting with him in the evenings, watching him, watch the grass grow. Haha!

My roses are blooming and they make me very happy. 

My blog got a little face lift a couple of months ago, and I am in love with the new colors! :) 

That about wraps up the main highlights from the last couple of weeks! 

Really trying to promise myself that I will keep up with my blog! I depend a lot on my Project 365 photos on Facebook to document my kids lives, but I would really love for them to have their momma's words on paper to read one day. So here's to writing! ♥

Introducing... The Pink Rose Boutique!

Today I am excited to share with you something that has been a few weeks in the making! 

Meet:

My new baby! 

The name is inspired by my Grandma. My inspiration and the one I can give the credit to for teaching me how to sew. When I was little I can remember going to her house and making blankets for my dolls, pillow cases, little dresses, and also hand embroidery. As I got into high school, I did not sew as much, it was easier to just take my clothes to Gram if I needed something fixed. :)

It was after having Taylor that I really felt inspired to start making things again. My mom bought me a sewing machine for my birthday and I had Gram come over every week to sit with me while I sewed. 

Bows, dresses, blankets, shirts you name it, I tried my hand at making it.

And I loved it! I love watching a pile of fabric transform into something that is usable! 

(Like this recent trip to Hobby Lobby...This picture makes me EXTREMELY happy!) 

I have since ventured out into some other items: aprons, pillow covers, camera strap covers, and appliques. It is a very fun hobby. 

It was in the middle of my vow renewal planning that I had the strong desire to turn this hobby into a business! 

Obviously, March was a little busy, I was making decorations for the wedding. But in the back of my mind I kept thinking of a shop. First order of business was to think of a name. This next part might sound cliche' to you but it is meaningful to me. I prayed for God to help me decide on a name. I was stumped. Then one night I had a dream about my Grandma. She was sitting outside of her house smelling the roses in her flower bed. She told me about her rose plants and where each one came from. 

Nothing life changing, just a nice conversation with my Grandma.

I woke up with the name The Pink Rose on my mind. And it stuck. ;) 

Off to the courthouse to register, sign up for an Etsy shop, create a Facebook page. Check, check, check.

Quick side note to share with you. On the way to sign up at the courthouse, there was one single rose plant  blooming, and guess what it was? :)

Something so beautiful and simple, and it made my day. :) 

So now that I have all the groundwork laid, all that is left is to SEW. :)

I have been working on a few pieces that I will be posting soon.
In the meantime,
How about some "likes" for my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thepinkroseboutique
My Etsy shop is here: http://thepinkroseboutique.etsy.com 
(Items should be listed by tomorrow! :))

 I am excited to share with you! Have a happy day! :) 

Garden Tradition

Tomorrow is the first "official" day of spring! Can I hear a yippee! ;) 

I love spring. I love to watch the transformation of  a grey, dry pasture, turn into a crisp green field of coastal. I love to look at the little buds coming out of the otherwise dead looking tree branches. I like to see the wild flowers pop up on the side of the road, and especially love when the babies bring their Momma a handful of flowers that they found. :) 

And my most FAVORITE favorite part of spring? 

If you read the title of this post you can probably guess it. Gardening. 

My family has been gardening my entire life. I wouldn't know what to do if there was no gardening. Ha! 

But in all seriousness, I love it. I absolutely love to watch a plain patch of dirt, transform into a full, green garden, full of things that you can eat! :) 

Growing up, my very earliest memories of my Grandpa and Grandma's house, is going out to the back and picking things out of the garden. I especially remember picking carrots, taking them to the sink, and standing on a stool helping Grandma wash them, and then eating them. 

With the exception of meat and dairy, my Grandparents pretty much lived off the land. Every kind of vegetable you could think of, fruit trees, berry patches, they had it all. Grandma cooked, canned, preserved, pickled, froze, and baked with it all. Moving to the hill country my parents continued the tradition and started their own garden. And since moving out on MY own, I have continued the tradition on to my own family! I want my kids to grow up with the same love for the outdoors and gardening, that I have. And so far I have been blessed with them loving it too! ;) 

We planted ours this evening. I am excited because we have expanded our space from last year, and we now have room for 17 different plants! 

Corn

 Okra

Green Beans

Peas

 Cucumbers

Tomatoes - large and cherry size, the kids love to eat the cherry tomatoes right off the vine. 

Green and Yellow Bell Peppers

Jalapenos

"Blaze of Glory" variety of hot peppers

Strawberries

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Squash 

Zuchinni 

Sweet Onions & Green Onions

And last but not least... Carrots. :) 

The kids really enjoyed the planting process this year. They are really starting to get the hang of it! (Tear... my babies are growing up...)

Wyatt's favorite is the corn

Tay is most excited about the watermelon and cantaloupe. 

 

Sneak peek of  mommy and daddy behind the scenes! ;) 

I of course will be taking pictures of the progress, and hope to update with a few posts along the way! :) 

Happy Spring Y'all! :)