This Week @ the Ricks Home

The biggest news this week - Kyle has been visiting us! We have all enjoyed having him here. Our family really feels complete when he is with us. I enjoy hearing the kids play and laugh together. Gavin has loved having his brother around. Kyle plays guns and other boy things with him. Kyle has a great sense of humor. The boy has me cracking up most of the time. You should hear him speak in his Russian accent. Awesome! He is so thoughtful. For example, I was having company over one evening and I was running errands all day. I started to stress because I still needed to clean the house. I walked in and Kyle had just loaded the dishwasher and the entire downstairs was clean. Kyle, Natalee, and even Aryn had cleaned for me! I expected them to all still be asleep. Haha.

With Kyle visiting we have skipped our usual date nights. By Thursday I had to have a date with my husband. So, after dinner we went down the street to a mexican resturant for fried icecream. I talked John's ear off. It was nice to have a chance to talk alone. I have taken date nights for granted now that we have built in babysitters and go out as often as we like. When we walked in the front door, Jordan looked over from the couch and asked, "Did you go to the temple?" We laughed. Nope, not this time. We've been going to the temple almost every other Friday now that Aryn and Natalee can watch the kids. It has been a wonderful experience. I enjoy the blessings of attending the temple but an extra blessing is spending almost 4 hours riding in the car alone with my sweetheart talking and holding hands. I love that we go often enough that our baby girl assumed that is where we had been. During our last visit to the temple we were the witness couple, which is funny to me because on the way there I thought to myself how tired I was and that it was going to be difficult to stay awake and focused. Then a thought came to mind that made me chuckle, "not if you're the witness couple." I didn't tell John what I ws thinking because it felt a little like murmuring. So, when I walked into the room and noticed John was sitting in the first chair, I jumped a little. We were the witness couple. I had no problems staying awake and the session went by quickly!

Speaking of date night, now that we have a McDonald's close by we have started daddy date nights again. For some reason or  another we took a break from date nights. We started a couple of weeks ago with the youngest first. It happened to fall on the first night Kyle was here. When John and Jordan pulled up to McDonald's Jordan told John that she would rather be with Kyle than get icecream. She was SO excited to spend time with Kyle. She even brought home some fries to share with him. This week was Gavin's turn. He told me the next day about how Dad talked of receiving the Priesthood and later serving a mission. Gavin said when he feels sad that he is the only lonely boy in our home, he will remember he is also the only one who gets the Priesthood, and that seemed pretty special to him. I'm thankful for my only lonely boy. My little bedlamite. He is teaching me SO much! Hahaha.

John and Kyle have been building a wood play set. John watched the weather and planned to pick up the play set and put it together last weekend. He even worked extra hours so he could take Friday off to get started. The weather changed and it rained all day that Saturday and every other day after that! On the clear days they would work in the evenings after dinner until dark. He decided to take off this Friday as well so that they could get it finished. Then, after staying up late Friday night, John got up early so he could work on it before General Conference. It was mostly done by 11am and they completely finished it Saturday during the break in General Conference.



I haven't had the time to take a photo. It is awesome! The kids played on it until after dark.

We took our Spring Break from school while Kyle is visiting. We've been staying up later playing games and having fun. We've been sleeping late and being lazy. It's been nice to have a break.

We really enjoyed General Conference this weeked. Not much is better than cuddling up with my family listening to the inspired words of the Prophet, Apostles, and leaders of the restored church! I appreciate all of the inspiration and personal revelation I receive for me and my family. I have lots of notes and I love it! Perfect guidance as I spring clean my daily life. Like I was saying in my previous post, I'm spring cleaning my life. I do this randomly, when I feel like I'm running as fast as I can yet getting nowhere. Time to fix the broken things, get rid of the unimportant and excess things, and reorganize my daily life. During Spring Break I've taken time to figure out a new daily and weekly schedule. I'm excited to start following it! I do love schedules and lists.

I've had some time to be crafty in the little blue room. I made these burp clothes for my newest nephew, Bryce.





He is a cute, chunky monkey! The chin is chins are amazing, right? My youngest sister Andrea is pretty cute, too.

I finished my first men's dress shirt refashion. I was a little nervous cutting into the shirt but, I figured it only cost me 99 cents so, even if I ruin it, no biggy. I decided to wing it and made this with no pattern or instructions. I changed my mind on how I wanted it to look multiple times. I messed up many times. I learned some things and have more ideas for the next one. In the end, I think it turned out cute enough to wear even though some things about it still bug me. I also found I need a rotary cutter and seam ripper to make my sewing projects easier.


Then, I made this.

The original plan was to make a matching neck tie for Gavin but, with all the mistakes and changes on the dress, there wasn't enough dress shirt. So, bow tie it is. The bow part is actually one of the sleeve cuffs.

Jordan modeling her new dress.




I'm excited to go to the thrift store tomorrow to pick up a few more 99 cent shirts to try more refashion ideas. My sister Amy and I have challenged each other to make ourselves something from thrift store finds. She has a dress planned out and found all the items she was hoping for the last time we went to the thift store. I think I finally have an idea of what I want to make for myself. I keep changing my mind. I hope I can find something perfect tomorrow.

We watched Tangled for the first time this weekend. Aryn says I look and ACT just like Mother Gothel. Say what?
 




Hmmm? I may look like her, especially when I don't straighten my hair and, I agree, mother DOES know best and the world DOES have evil in it but, I'm not manipulative or over-protective.




I made this wall decor last week. I drew up a pattern, then cut it myself with the jig saw! I love it.


I thought since I was taking pictures I'd go ahead take a few of the house so we could finally share with our friends and family what the inside looks like. When I looked at the picture gallery I realized I only took pictures of the entry and living room. I must have been distracted by something. I guess you'll have to wait until next week for a peek at the rest of the house.

Entryway


Other wall in the entryway


Music corner


Living room


Here's the shelving that I decorate because I have no mantle to decorate. I call it my wanna be mantle.

Never realized how blank that small wall looked until I saw it in a photo.

I wasn't planning on decorating it for spring but, after making this banner with my Stamp Club, I got inspired.


I mostly used things I already had around the house. The only thing I purchased was new "faux"liage  and the speckled eggs from Hobby Lobby...50 percent off, of course.

The small wood bird was hand carved by John's dad. I loved that the eggs matched the wall colors of my home!


Amost everything on the shelves were half off, thrift store finds, dollar store purchases, or given to me. I love decorating without spending much money.


I even had enough left to use as my dinning table center piece.


If you made it to the end, you are awesome, that was a huge post! Thanks! My goal to post on Sunday sort of turned into early Monday morning. That's ok. I'm really happy I took the time to share and document.
I'll be back on Friday for a flashback from last year.