Kitchen Progress and Christmas Cheer

Well folks, we are t-minus one day away from this little one's due date, and with the exception of this head cold I've been battling (and which seems to only be getting worse :(, I am feeling pretty good. I'm not sure if this means baby plans on staying put for a while (I really couldn't blame him or her--life is crazy in our household these days!), but the good news is we've been chipping away at the to-do list for the house.

Our appliances arrived bit by bit, we eventually got a kitchen sink, and Philip worked tirelessly on putting together our kitchen cabinets.  I am so relieved they are finally all in place.

We lived for a couple weeks with a long cardboard box and plywood for countertops.  While not ideal, do you know that it is actually more irritating to try and open cabinets without any pulls or knobs?  It's the little things, I tell you.  Thankfully, Philip is completing the installation of the pulls and knobs as I type this post!

And while mama and daddy have been busy with kitchen projects, these two little people have gotten quite creative at entertaining themselves.  Who needs actual toys when you have cupcake liners, cute napkins and styrofoam with which to concoct your own baking party?

There was much rejoicing a couple of days ago when our countertops arrived!

While the kitchen is certainly not finished, now that the countertops are in, things certainly feel a lot more functional (Please enjoy this photo of my countertops in a state they will likely never be in again--completely clean and clear).

Our counters are black quartz and our cabinets are Ikea.  I'll do a more detailed post on sources once we  finish everything.  We plan to do open shelving in lieu of upper cabinets, but like many things around here, it's just going to take time.  

It was very satisfying to see Wade and Holland making use of our new kitchen counters in their new Christmas jammies earlier this week :)  Their little feet are my favorite part.

And speaking of Christmas, our decorations are very sparse this year (you know, with all the unpacked boxes surrounding us...), but we've still managed to find some special ways to celebrate the season with our kids.  At 3 and nearly 5 years old, it is so sweet to witness their joy over it all.

Philip's parents ventured into our chaos visited and came along on our tree-hunting adventure.  Wade and Holland loved the little trees.

And their enthusiasm for getting our tree decorated was unmatched.

Nor was the preciousness when they played the part of an angel (her halo fell off mid-performance :) and a lamb in our church's Christmas pageant.

While Grammy was in town (and providing much assistance in Operation Unpack the Worthingtons Before Baby Arrives), she and the kids made Christmas tree rice krispy treats.

And speaking of Grammy, I died over the cuteness of the special Christmas quilts she brought for the kids' beds!  She found them at Steinmart for a steal!

We went to a Christmas Winnie the Pooh performance...can someone please tell me why my daughter looks like a pre-teen here?!

And Philip and I took an evening away from unpacking and kitchen-building for our annual viewing of Four Christmases.  Can I just tell you how much I appreciate Vince Vaughn's ability to make me laugh and forget my troubles?

While our little place still feels rather chaotic, I did finally get some pictures hung in the living room and took the time to create a little space that felt welcoming and cozy to me.

As we anticipate and prepare for Christmas, I hope wherever you are, you feel cozy and welcomed as well :)

Why Hello There.

I am in the thick of what feels like the craziest, most stressful season of life I can recall.  I am so grateful to be able to tell you that we have in fact moved into our new house, but seeing that we still lack a fully functioning kitchen and I'm surrounded by boxes everywhere, to call it a "home," well that still feels like a bit of a stretch.  Granted, we are getting there, but progress is slow.  

Oh, and did I mention I am now full term with this little one?!  

Don't you just love my new fashion accessory--my maternity band that's supposed to help combat false labor contractions!  

Frankly, I think I may go into shock when this child is born.  How can it be that I am this close to having another baby?!  Shouldn't I have another good two to three months left?!  I feel very unprepared (in a number of ways!) to mother a newborn right now...suffice it to say, I welcome your prayers!  

There is so much I'd like to share, but my brain and my body feels capable of very little these days, so I will attempt to show you some pictures of our progress over the past month or so...

We took the wall down that divided the kitchen from the living room. This immediately opened up the space and everything just felt lighter and brighter!

The floors went down (and I am so happy with them!).  I love the shade of brown. 

What a difference it made to get that carpet up and give everything a seamless look with new flooring.  The flooring we chose is actually a "hardwood" laminate from Lumber Liquidators.  Being a Virginia girl who loves older homes with real hardwood floors, going with laminate was a bit hard for me to swallow at first.  However, it's just what people do out here, and with us planning to sell the house once our time here is through, it didn't make sense financially to pay for real hardwoods when the demand for them just isn't there. 

Philip sprayed the wood beam ceiling in the dining room with our new paint sprayer!  So much better!

Meanwhile, I debated paint colors and nearly lost my mind in the process.  

Not to worry, I protected the wee one in my belly from any potential fumes.  (Breaking Bad, anyone?)

The kitchen prep was finished just in time and then the real madness hit when all of our things got delivered.

In the midst of the chaos, I have tried hard to balance my desire to unpack and get the least bit settled with spending time with my children.  Please don't assume I have done a great job at this.  I am trying though, as I realize things are really going to change when there is a third tiny person in our midst...

This sweet one will be my baby for only a little while longer!  

Moments of sibling joy that I cherish.

Also, there's this.

Just some good old fashioned Mother-of-the-Year material right there.  

I'd like to post some more updates to our kitchen soon, as it's coming together thanks to the hard work of my husband! (here's hoping this baby stays put for a while longer so I can find the time to do so!)  

In the spirit of ending on a pretty note, I'm really pleased I was able to pull together Wade and Holland's room, using things we already owned of course.  Those mirrors are the first things I've hung on the walls, and boy does it feel good to have one room nearly done (at least for now!)  My favorite things are their quilts--each was made by a great- and great-great grandmother of Wade and Holland--how special is that?!