Friday, November 9, 2012

Paisley's New Jacket

Last year I discovered I am pretty good at making jackets. So this year I made Amber and Jade real jackets they wore with their Halloween costumes. But Paisley was Alice and didn't get a jacket. On one of my trips to SAS, I found some super soft pony fur for super cheap and bought thinking I could use it for a blanket or jacket for at least one of the girls. Paisley adores it! So I used it for her jacket. And there's enough for me to make a jacket for Shyla and probably one more for somebody! When I went to Joann's for buttons, I found little horse buttons - perfect! So here's Paisley's super adorable jacket she loves:

 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Our New Home!

 
Here's some pictures of our new home. =)

The living/dining room

Half the kitchen

The family room with a wood fireplace and built-in bookcases

We're ripping out the closets and building a bench with hooks for backpacks/purses and drawers beneath for shoes

Master bedroom

The rest of the master bedroom

Amber's bedroom. The carpet in all the kids' bedrooms is brand new! Just installed last week!

Jade's room. She has a big walk-in closet

Paisley's room

And Shyla's room. =)
 
From the porch 

What the grass will look like after a few floodings
 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

David

I am so very proud of David. He's worked extremely hard our entire marriage to provide for us. Especially for the past several years while he was in nursing school and I stayed home with the girls. And now that he's graduated nursing school, he's had two jobs, online courses for his second bachelor's degree - this one in nursing (the first one was in business management) and still makes time for family activities and wrestling with the girls. Such a loving, hard-working man!
Last week at work he was awarded "Employee of the Quarter" and was presented a plaque. This week he received an email informing him he won the "Dream Award" from Everest College. Here's what's being published:
EVEREST COLLEGE PHOENIX RECOGNIZES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
2012 Dream Award Winner Succeeds Through Personal Accountability
 
 PHOENIX, Ariz. – October 2012 – In honor of exceptional academic achievement, Everest College Phoenix is proud to announce David Cresap as the 2012 Dream Award winner for the Phoenix campus. The Dream Award, which is presented annually to students who have demonstrated significant life changes for the better through education, includes a $2,500 Everest College scholarship for the winner to pursue an advanced program in his or her field of study.  
Cresap learned at an early age that giving up had consequences. As a teenager, he made an impulsive decision to quit the high school football team in the middle of the season. When he tried to return, he was held off until the following year. “I learned it a long time ago, this old-fashioned belief that your word is your bond,” said Cresap. “You need to commit.” 
This seemingly small lesson bestowed upon a player by his coach led to a lifetime of holding himself accountable for his actions, and Cresap’s decision to pursue nursing was no different. A husband and father of four, Cresap had always dreamed of a medical career but didn’t want his family to incur the debt that would come with attending medical school. Instead he decided on a long-term plan through Everest College Phoenix, consisting of several levels of education that would keep him on track and allow him to provide for his family.  
“David is a testament to the importance of time management and balance,” said Todd McDonald, president of the Phoenix campus for Everest College Phoenix. “By knowing what is important, he manages to make practical decisions and see his goals through to the end.” 
In addition to his responsibilities as a student, a husband and a father, David is an active member of the community who dedicates himself to his church and his basketball and softball teams. He completes his schoolwork during the week so his weekends are free for family, and makes sure to spend one-on-one time with each of his four daughters at least once a week.  
Cresap holds himself accountable by maintaining a presence among his peers as well. As a student ambassador with the Everest College Ambassador Program, an initiative that empowers students to become leaders and mentors across the campus, he demonstrates his commitment to education by inspiring and motivating others to do the same.  
“If you are going to make a decision and commit to something, see it through, even if that means stepping back and making sure it is what you truly want,” said Cresap. “Know what your goals are and keep them in mind. Having that commitment helps when there are tough times.”
 
Cresap earned his Associate of Applied Science in nursing January of 2012, and successfully balanced finals with the birth of his fourth daughter, now 10 months old. “At least half of my study time was spent in the hospital waiting room,” said Cresap. He celebrated his commencement in May of the same year, and currently works as a registered nurse through Wexford Health Services in Arizona. 

October Randoms

Time for the month's random photo dump! Yay!! I'm cool - you know it's true. =)
I emptied out the baker's cabinet and while I was taking the box into the other room, Shyla climbed in and had a fun time! Silly baby!

Paisley's discovered how to use Netflix on David's iPad. She now thinks it's her iPad. Lovely.

It's FINALLY getting cooler out! Cool enough that I can kick - I mean "encourage" the girls to play outside instead of chase each other around the house and drive me C-R-AZY! Yay for fall! =)
 
That's all the pics I have to share from October. But, here's an update on our new home: the carpet and wood as been installed, the baseboards have been put back up, the kid's bathroom vanity/sink has been replaced, the septic system has been inspected and passed with flying colors, the VA appraisal inspection is scheduled for tomorrow, the irrigation is scheduled for the 15th, our loan paperwork is looking good, and hopefully we'll be closing on the 26th! (But really I'm hoping to move in before Thanksgiving!) 
 
 


Yikes!

I just realized I never posted about Halloween and we're already a full week into November! Things have been so crazy busy overhere I just totally forgot! lol Anyways, Halloween went the same as it has every other year - the kiddos all dressed up, David dressed up, I didn't feel like dressing up, and we all went out Trick-or-Treating. Paisley remained excited and full of energy all the way through the neighborhood. In fact, she didn't complain a single time! Very impressed with her. Amber whined most of the time and I charged her a candy tax for being slow and David kept whacking her with his sword to "encourage" her to keep up. haha And Jade was her normal eager beaver self. So....here's a few pictures!
Pumpkin carving time!

Amber's hair is so cool. I love how big I can make it cause it's soooo thick!

Ready to goooo!!! (waiting on Daddy)