To Fill My Days

Well, we've been in Texas for one whole month now. I can't believe how worried I was about moving here. I feel like it was perfect timing with the weather and baby and everything else. We really do love it here already. Our neighbors are angels, everyone from church has given us such a great, warm welcome, and Clay really likes his coworkers. How lucky are we? We feel so blessed. For example, this weekend our car got stuck in park (AGAIN. Don't ask me how this happens every six months...) and because it was a Saturday evening, no one would work on it till Monday, of course, so we were stuck without a car Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday. Everyone we've met so far quickly jumped on offering us rides, and our neighbors even made us take the keys to one of their cars! I just can't believe how generous everyone has been. And everybody has been so sweet about baby coming soon. There has been an outpouring of support and kindness our way. We are very grateful.

We are also enjoying drives around town looking at all the beautiful homes and buildings (the homes in Texas are SO much prettier than in Utah...). We've been out to eat twice since we got here and really liked both places. There's a whole list of restaurants we want to try here. It will probably take us a while though! Here are some pictures from one of the places we went:

Twisted Root Burger Co. (mmmmmmm):

Delicious burgers and the best baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon sugar on them!

We've also enjoyed a few Texas rainstorms! Boy, does it really come down here!:

Just watching the show from our little patio:

So while Clay is at work, I fill my days with little projects. Mostly I'm just a little bored waiting for baby to come haha. But I did save many projects to get done during this time. One has been to scan everything I've been wanting to scan forever and never get around to.

See number 19 on my 30 by 30 list (note, the crossed out items are already done! also, several of the others I'm WORKING on):

1) Have at least two children

2) Get a good start on my coffee table book (that I will publish before I'm 50)

3) Be featured on a famous blog/site/magazine/or show

4) Photograph a birth

5) Cook a completely new meal every single day for a whole month

6) Cook a gourmet 5-course meal

7) Make a beautiful, yummy, professional looking layered cake with fondant

8) Go on a cruise

9) Go to at least 3 countries, continents, or islands I've never been to before

10) Go to at least 3 states I've never been to before

11) Go to NYC

12) Make pottery

13) Meet every person who lives on my street

14) Get in the best shape of my life

15) Read the Old Testament

16) Read Jesus the Christ

17) Be comfortable sewing on my own and make several things

18) Get good at doing eyeshadow and actually wear it occasionally

19) Scan all of the photos I've been wanting to scan

20) Take a great photo of lightning

21) See the nutcracker

22) See Wicked

23) Visit a farmer's market

24) Go to a rodeo

25) Make a service jar and put something in it every day for at least a year

26) Reupholster a piece of furniture

27) Buy one piece of famous, classic furniture that I'm in love with 

28) See the majority (preferably all) of my best college girl friends almost or every year

29) Hike in Moab, Utah and take an incredible photo there

30) Go to the Manti & St. George LDS temples

I took it to the next level though. I said all of the PHOTOS I've been wanting to scan, but not only have I gone through and scanned all of my photos, but I've also scanned a million recipes, journal entries (I had like 6 different journals from growing up that were all only partly filled in...why hold onto so many practically empty journals when I could just have all of the filled in pages scanned on my computer?!), drawings from when I was little, and a few other things. I then threw away several boxes of STUFF that I don't need anymore because now it's on my computer! Such a nice feeling (don't worry. I often back up my hard drive so I won't lose anything!).

Here is just one of the many little things I scanned (all my old school I.D. cards):

5th grade:

 6th grade:

7th grade:

8th grade (awkward year, don't judge):

9th grade (still in my awkward phase...):

10th grade:

11th grade:

12th grade:

I forgot to scan my BYU I.D. cards. I need to do that.

Another project I've been working on is our nursery for baby Ellery. It is still far from finished, so I'm only going to share a few detail shots (I'll share pictures of the whole room soon!):

I saw this mobile online somewhere and thought "$75!? pshh. I could make that!":

And so I did. The whole thing only cost me like $4:

Some of the beautiful quilts that friends and family have made for Ellery:

Hanging over her cute white crib:

OKAY, here is my rocker, but keep in mind that it is lacking an adorable yellow pillow that my mother made me and a white crib skirt as well. Both things will be here shortly:

Some little things on display that were in my room when I was growing up (and I think this first one was in my mother's room when she was growing up as well):

BIG library for E (yes, I enjoy color coordinating):

This is her changing station. Remember how I got this dresser for $15, painted it white, and put new knobs on it? Now it's cute! Also, the dress is for her baby blessing. My mother made it for me and I wore it for my baby blessing:

I love my diaper bag (already packed and ready to go!):

Millions of adorable little girl clothes (half of them are my wonderful sister-in-law's that she is letting me borrow!):

Diapers and wipes:

The top drawer in Ellery's dresser is filled with TINY little diapers, wipes, and some other necessities:

And the rest is packed with clothes and sleepers:

So the nursery is waiting on a pillow and a crib skirt that my mother made (she's bringing them when she comes right after baby is born), a mirror that was my grandmothers (also on it's way), a curtain for the window (from Urban Outfitters. Should be here any day), and wall decor, which is pending...

It will be beautiful when it's all done! Especially with baby in it.