Cheap Living Room Updates

Decorating a house for cheap....like foam, duct tape, fabric, and hot glue cheap :) That is what I used to make this cornice box for our window in the living room. We have a small living room with not many furniture arrangement options. So our couch has to be in front of the window, which meant no long curtains. I still wanted to dress the window up a little though so this is what we decided on.

 (Yes, I realize the couch is not centered below the window. I'll fix that.)

Then use hot glue to wrap the fabric around the foam. Cheap I know but super easy and it works :)

INSTAGRAM DISPLAY: I actually did this awhile ago. I got the idea from my friend who made one like this. It's a fun way to display a lot of pictures and to be able to easily change them out. I used tacks with jewelry wire wrapped around them. Then used small Ikea curtain hooks like these to hang the pictures. Super easy!

Lastly, putting some religion on the walls of the home...The Family Proclamation. If you have never heard of this you should read it here. It is an amazing document put out by the LDS church about what we believe about families. I have had my eye on this one, but the Etsy shop where it is sold was closed. 

So I found this one and I am really liking it. I got the file for it here and then printed it for super cheap at Costco. 

China Ranch Date Farm

Travis heard about this place from one of his professors and since we didn't have much planned for Spring Break we decided to go check it out. It is a date farm (like the fruit) in the middle of Death Valley. It's an oasis of green in the middle of rock mountains with NOTHING growing on them. As you turn off the main road you drive in between two huge rocks on both sides of you. 

I don't know what it is about driving between to big rocks on a one lane road, but man Travis was all hyped up about it. We could have just turned around and went home after driving through these and he would have been satisfied. 

Then when you come out of that you see the oasis of green among all the rock. I wish I would have gotten a better picture. If you look closely though you can see the green. Or just look at this photo from their website:)

When we got there we checked out the little store that they had and then we went on a hike/walk along a small trail. 

We didn't really know where we were going but luckily it ended up making one big circle so we didn't get lost.  

We tried dates for the first time and had a date milkshake. It was actually really good and apparently it's what a lot of people go there for. 

 She enjoyed them too. 

Coming over to have some more with mommy. 

There was a little creek with lots of hermit crabs. Travis tried to catch one on a stick.  

Oh ya and there was an alligator in the water too. Can you see it?

Then we walked around the date orchard. They grow on palm tree looking plants. They had so many different kinds of dates. Who knew right? 

Should of brought the stroller...but that's okay she loves shoulder rides:)

 

Fun times! If you are ever in the area stop by and have a date milkshake...which I don't know why you would ever be in the middle of Death Valley... but if you are stop by, its pretty cool. 

I Have A Family Here On Earth...

I have a family here on earth. They are so good to me. I want to share my life with them through all eternity. 

Families can be together forever. Through Heavenly Father's Plan. I always want to be with my own family and the Lord has shown me how I can. The Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years. I'll prepare most carefully. So I can marry in God's temple for eternity.

Families can be together forever. Through Heavenly Father's Plan. I always want to be with my own family and the Lord has shown me how I can. The Lord has shown me how I can.

Words: Ruth Muir Gardner 

Music: Vanja Y. Watkins

I love my family and I am so thankful to know that we can be "together forever through all eternity." We took these fun pictures in Water Canyon.  It was windy and cold but I they turned out pretty cute. I am so thankful Heavenly Father chose to send me to be a part of this family. 

Valentine's Day Weekend!

We were able to go home for the weekend. All my brothers and sisters were going to be there. We haven't had the chance to all be together in a long time. It was so much fun and wish it could have lasted longer. 

She is ready to hit the road! 

We got there just in time for my little brothers basketball game. It was Senior night.  He is the one that is about two feet taller than his mom:)

Lorelai loved playing with her cousins.

Beautiful Aunt Lindsey. She loved her aunt Lindsey. I think we confused her a little because Lindsey and I have the same haircut right now. So she had two moms for the weekend:)

The highlight of the weekend was probably watching my brother's team beat their rival in a packed gym. It was awesome. The runner up highlight would be playing hand and foot with everyone and the epic chest pump with the wall my older brother did. ( I really wish I had a picture of that to share.)

It's such a long drive home we decided to let Lorelai get out of her car seat and practice driving. Made the trip go much quicker.... :)

The Price Is Right!!!

I have always loved the Price Is Right. Not sure what it is about the show but I have always loved it. I used to have a sweet handheld version of it. It was awesome....now that I think about...uh mom I hope you didn't get rid of that.

Anyways, it seems I have passed this love for the game onto my little girl. We occasionally watch The Price Is Right (uh okay just about everyday we watch it). Whenever the part comes on where they spin the wheel (if you don't know what I am talking about just stop reading now I am not sure we can be friends) Lorelai will stop what she is doing and watch. No matter what. It is awesome:)

Here she is in action: 

Look What I Can Do!

I can now pull myself up to things and I am crawling all over the place. Sometimes I even get really brave and hold on with one hand and then just to get mom and dad really excited I do no hands. That doesn't usually last long but I am working on it:)

Here I am the first time I pulled myself up to something. I just decided to really show off my strength and do some pull ups for everyone while I had their attention:) My great grandma was kind enough to spot me.

I got a few bumps and bruises the first few days. Mainly the big old goose egg on the right of my forehead.

Peace out...I got some things to get into while mom tries to makes dinner!

Fun First Christmas

Lorelai was able to have 3 First Christmas celebrations. First, was Christmas at her Grandpa's house. She got lots of fun toys and loved this ball she played with it all night.

Playing with Daddy and Auntie Nae Nae!

She was our little snowman that night! Oh Lebron... he is always photo bombing our photos.

We were able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning with Grandma and Uncle Josh. It worked out great so that they didn't have to spend the whole day by themselves. We had fun playing the dice game, taking pictures by the tree, and eating a delicious spread of food. 

Rudolph :)

Doesn't she look thrilled :)

UHHGG, guys what are you waking me up for???

Ok...maybe this Christmas thing is cool after all.

Lorelai with her goods...(some of them)

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls....on a Halloween Plate of course.

Then for the third and final Christmas we went out to Travis mom's house and had Christmas.

Cute Reindeer Christmas Outfit.

Nothing like hitting golf balls in the middle of nowhere. Thanks for the awesome club Scott and Jenae.

She was too distracted by the shadows to look up. Oh well.

It was a long day for Lorelai (because her mom wouldn't let her sleep in) and by about 6:30 she had all the Christmas Joy she could handle.

We were very lucky to get so much fun stuff for Christnas. We all were spoiled but Lorelai was majorly spoiled!....now the real test will be to see if we can fit everything in the jeep for the ride home:)