SOOOO tooting my own horn!

So yesterday I was to impatient to wait for John to help me...I was sick of carrying in sleeping kids from outside in the rain, so I installed the new garage door opener. That's right, the whole track and power head, smart beam to make the door stop if anything is in the way, key less entry on outside of house, remotes, all the wiring, etc! First I had to undo all the old stuff, take it all out then put the new all together and install everything!!! not sure if I'm the coolest girl ever or just so suborn and determined that I would never give up in the middle even if I were stumped. hahaha but in the end I have a working garage door opener that I can use with a remote from my car when we are going to and from....next project, organizing the garage so I can actually get in!

Now this piece of art came inspired by April Kennedy (best idea in the whole house!) the chalk board wall is a huge hit with Payten and she LOVES her little table and art area (and the unfinished stair in the middle is just the icing on the cake, hehe j/k

The only excuse I have for her outfit is that for about 2 weeks or so we were unable to use the water/laundry etc..... :) thanks kelly and Mardel for letting us use yours


Paytens Monster

thought I'd put a few pictures of the process, this was scraping the popcorn off! so glad that's done.

another case of me being determined haha all the "men" at home depot didn't think I could do this or push the cart I put them all on...i showed them!

Thanks Brian for helping with the floor and for renting the workers from home depot! :) haha

Thanks Tom

thank you Jaret for EVERYTHING, helping with paint, outlets, PLUMBING( you are why we can use laundry and kitchen sink, and dish washer!!!!!! and everything else you helped and advised on so far

Painted, scrubbed and bought new bulb covers...these were the ones before and the whole thing was gold and light brown

kitchen drawers and everything drying on trash pile that has consumed our back yard

LONG PROCESS!!!!

I can't wait tell she learns to do the dishes haha actually she was having a blast, I don't know why it was FREEZING and raining and yuck she's loved helping

good night

SO white and clean :) now I just have to pick the paint for the walls and get new countertop and sink

quick update before I fall asleezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (to late) haha j/k here are just a few pictures of what we're going...I would show you some gritty pictures of how sick the cabinets were before up close but you might get sick....but now they are SO clean! anyways I really am going to pass out, good night hope everyone is doing well and has an awsome weekend!

Before

Ok everyone is asking for before pictures....we'll see what we can come up with, I have no excuses for all the teal, blue whatever color they have all over the house...haha we'll improve on that!

uuuuggg I love moving

I am reminded of why moving is not the most enjoyable thing in the world. However of course i'm stoaked about getting a new place, I have been packing all day EVERY day for a week now and I feel like I've barely made a dent....well really it's almost done but all the big things are still in place so if feels hopeless.

I love my daughter, I love my daughter, I love my daughter hahaha I had to repeat this in my mind alot today as my sweetheart for a daughter kept trying to help me clean. the day started with the lady from the rental organization coming by and doing a pre-move out inspection, just telling me what all needed to be done if we didn't want to get charged. some of the things are SOOOOO rediculous but i'll play their game because I want our deposit back. anyways so I pretty much had a bowl of bleech and a toothbrush in hand all day. Payten saw me squirting everything with chemicals and wanted to use my water spray bottle to clean the window with me, I thought that seemed harmless.

So I'm in the bathroom with a flat head screw driver chipping away mineral deposits in the deep cracks of the shower doors (I really dislike shower doors....worst thing ever to try and keep looking clean! give me a curtain you can throw away when it's gross) ok back on track, so Payten comes to me all cute and excited she wants me to come see all the cleaning she's done.....she cleaned the window, the couch, rocking chair, kitchen table and chairs.....THE TV, PHONE, CELL PHONE, and SCRAPBOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH. she was so excited she helped so much, so I tried so hard to let her know I wasn't mad when her lip started to quiver at my initial facial reaction. I just held her and told her how much I loved her, I wasn't mad, she was soooo sad and kept saying sorry and felt so bad, I tried explaining that she just couldn't do things like that. I told her windows and doors only.

So then we're cleaning the windows in the other room and she's loving it, I look over at her and she's looking at her feet PEEING on the floor!!!! NOT an accident, I asked her why she did that and she pretty much just didn't feel like taking the time to go to the bathroom....now a year ago it was understandable but she's been potty trained for like15 months now...that one she did get in real trouble for.

Next, she flushes the toilet, I walk by and see it flowing like a fountain out of the toilet and eventually filling my entire bathroom floor about an inch deep!!! she'd been putting all the paper towls she cleaned with in the toilet and saved it tell the end to flush. It took 3 rolls of paper towel to clean that up (all my other towels and supplies are packed) anyways I was very greatful I'd cleaned the toilet yesterday. I guess now I don't have to mop that floor! haha j/k

She's learned that saying sorry lightens the punishment so she'll do whatever she wants then come tell me she's sorry before I find it. earlier this morning her friend Lenore was over and they emptied a brand new thing of wipes under the high chair...well lenore is only 2 so she doesn't necessarily know better and she'll do whatever Payten is doing......Payten knows better!

ok there's more little side stories too but I'm going to stop now because this is getting to be really long. Anyways they keep stringing us along as far as the keys to the place go. Now we will get them tomorrow afternoon or friday at the latest....everything is done it's just waiting to record. the awesome thing is (sarcasm) is that we have at least 2+ weeks of projects we were hoping to get done before moving in and now we have to be out of her on wednesday. oh well we'll be living out of the garage for a while. that works too. :)

I love moving....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RILEY!

I can not believe she is one...where did my tiny little baby go? oh well I guess I'll just have to make another one! (NO WE'RE NOT PREGNANT!) John would freak out hahaha. Anyways Riley decided to start her birthday off early and stay awake all night last night (which is more of a Payten thing to do! She's learning her sisters evil ways hahaha) but hey she took real steps today like not just two or three on the way to the ground. I put the phone on the couch and held her out a few feet and she walked to it. it's so funny because Payten really did the same thing for the first time on her 1st birthday, real walking. She's not like walking around the room or anything yet but that's soon enough. and yeah I had to work quick to get a picture of her today she is not the happiest birthday girl! but I'll give her credit, she's been working on a lot of teeth lately. anyways HAPPY BIRTHDAY RILEY, I love you so much and it's been an awesome year!

We do exist

Hey Everyone we're still alive here at the Mills house. We've since being back from AK we've had the flu (bad one) and a good cold sweep through our house, plus teething Riley with 4 upper teeth. We've been going crazy getting tons of supplies to fix up the new house, which we just signed all the papers this morning...YEAH! but we'll spend the next couple weeks going crazy fixing what we can.

Riley is SOOOOO close to walking, she took 2 steps to get to me last night and she walks everywhere if she's holding one of our fingers with one hand, she just figured out the balance thing so quick, I think she's watching Payten have all the fun and is finally sick of it. Her crawling speed has doubled too. A couple nights ago when Payten was asleep, Riley kept flying to their bedroom door and sneaking in, well by the end of the night she knew we'd be hot on her tail every time so she decided that using her hand to open the door was only slowing her down...who needs hands right? as soon as we'd set her down she'd go like 30 mph (haha ok little over exaggeration) but she'd head strait into the door head first and plow it open. It was great, free entertainment for John and I who were rolling on the floor.

Payten loves teasing her sister, HUMMMm big guess where she picked that up from (thanks John! ok i'll give Tom a little credit too haha) She's actually really sweet for the most part towards Riley.

Anyways you all know I'll probably not post for another few months right? hehe no I'll try and be better. have an awesome weekend!!!

Goodbye Alaska

Photo shoot with Papa in uniform

The kids were excited when papa came home in uniform so we all decided we wanted pictures with him. We miss you all and hope your having an awesome break!

Riley and Tucker

Riley spends 1/2 her time following tucker around or wishing she were on the other side of the fence with him.

Great Grandmas

G.G. (Grandma Ginger)

Grammie

Well of course there is more sledding and playing in the snow, we go sledding when it's above -10.....right now I think its -20 (no i'm not exaggerating)

Christmas

They kids are having so much fun together they pass out at the first second of down time!

Christmas fun, Hope everyone had a great christmas! it was so fun. We made Gingerbread houses....

the non "kit" ones were held together with toothpicks and dental floss (thats what happens when your mom is in the dental field) but they ended up way cute.

Paytens hair up here is SOOOO dry and looks like this half the time!

They had fun doing eachothers hair with Paytens dress up presents which she loves....she's turning into a girl! :)

(lipstick)