Inside My Home: Katie's Room, the Kids'/Guest Bathroom, and Mason's Room (Again)

Hey y'all,

Today I'll be showing you the kids' end of the house, including their bathroom. The reason I can cram all of this into one tour is because 1.) you've already seen Mason's nursery, just in a different house; and 2.)let's be honest, bathrooms aren't much to look at. So we're just going to breeze right on by and you can (finally) see Katie Jo's cute little "English garden" room.

Coming in from the front room.

Katie's crib is the one that my dad picked out for me when he and my mom found out they were pregnant. Mason has the rocking chair.

The little fairy hooks were my sister's when we were kids.

Fun fact: Mason's closet is bigger than Katie's as this was originally a
guest room/office space and Mason has Jacob's old bedroom.
I'll probably hear about the poor planning on that when she's about 16.

 Katie's got the ultimate location for the horse-girl bedroom: that large window looks straight out to the pasture gate and the view will eventually encompass a barn.
Each morning when I go to get her up, she is standing at the foot of her crib, telling the horses "good morning" in turn. So cute.

The chair + dresser + bookshelf makes for a tight space; but the rocking chair is soon to
be replaced with a bean-bag/something more kid friendly as we swap our little girl into
a toddler bed. Be still my heart.

The Beatrix Potter print was from my nursery as well. The rocking chair is from my youngest sister's nursery and has a patch-work- like fabric that has small pictures from "Hey Diddle Diddle". Super cute. Katie's room implements a lot of our wedding decor -- a lot of lavender and rustic which goes great with Beatrix Potter to make a sort of off the cuff "English cottage garden" theme. 

My husband's grandfather built that bookshelf for hubby's room when he was a kid. I love using homemade pieces like it; and wood-working happens to be a big hobby in my husband's family.

Katie's was the first door on the right; next would be the guest/kids bathroom door, leaving Mason's room as the third and final door in this short hallway.

This bookshelf acts as a linen cupboard and also encases the bigger-kids books that I can't wait to begin as read-alouds with my kids. We've got some classics, as you'll see later.

Also, note how cheap I am using one monitor just in the kids' hallway instead of one in each bedroom.
Eh. The volume probably is not even turned on in the master. It still flashes when they fuss, which has always been enough to wake me up.








Tada -- the bathroom.

It's a little narrow.

See? Not exciting.

I will disclose that the art on the wall seen in the mirror is a "log cabin on a lake" painting that I did as a puzzle to hang as art in our first bathroom, back when I was very pregnant with Katie. It helped me keep a vision for the bathroom that was completely gutted at the time. (We had only the one bathroom at the time. We were renovating it in October before Katie arrived because it had structural and mold issues. Our fall hit early that year and our house was already not heated, and then we had a gaping hole in the floor of our bathroom where the men were having to replace many of the support beams under the house. I remember constantly texting Jacob's grandmother who lived across the street and driving the four-wheeler over to her house to use the restroom. Fun times.)

Mason's room!! What a cutie.

That rug was actually bought for our dining room in the old farm house.
And there's that rocking chair that goes with Katie's crib.

That's an extra dining chair. I try to keep the extras strategically
placed around the house so they're easily retrieved when we
have family and friends over.

So my wonderful Aunt From Up North has two young boys. She blessed us with that wonderful rug on our back porch; and she recently passed an entire twin bedroom set our way. That's where Mason's two magnificent dressers came from.

Love you, Jess. <3

Here's those classics I promised a view of.

Also, Jacob's grandmother likes to paint and she created that small but wonderful piece of artwork that works perfectly in my main hallway. She inspires me every day.

Really all we have left in the tour of Cedar Creek as it currently stands would be the master area.

 We can get to that another day. 

I'm going to leave you with a recipe. A really simple recipe.

My husband and I love us some buffalo wings. He's a bone-out kinda guy while I'll eat anything. My mother-in-law and I were just talking about how $$ buying wings can be. 

Well, if bone-out is what you like, then boy do I have a solution for you:

1. Cut up one thawed chicken breast into bite-sized pieces (if you got yourself a sharp steak knife and ten seconds, then you got this) (also note: one breast feeds two people around these parts; so obviously cut however much you need).

2. Put the chicken in a ziploc baggie (you can get away with a quart-sized bag for one breast) and cover it in buttermilk to soak for at least 30 minutes; but obviously when you're marinating, the longer the tastier.

3. Mix bread crumbs with a pinch each of paprika and garlic powder; then add 2.5 teaspoons of  salt and 3/4 teaspoon  of pepper. (Side note: This is for baking the chicken bites, which makes it less prep in the kitchen. I'm all about fast and least messy; but if you are planning on frying these bad boys like any good Southern cook, then nix the breadcrumbs and add the seasonings to roughly two cups of flour (don't forget the egg! If you've never fried before, you usually dunk the bites in flour, then egg, then flour again). 

(I've used all the seasonings + regular bread crumbs, and I've also just used Italian breadcrumbs without the seasonings. I would probably just add a little salt and pepper to the Italian; but it does make it that much quicker.)

4. After the chicken has marinated, take each bite and toss it in the breadcrumbs, then lay it on a baking sheet. Bake the "wings" at about 400 for roughly 20 minutes. Sometimes I flip them halfway through, sometimes I don't.

Your result will be super juicy, really tender boneless chicken wings better than you'll get anywhere. Especially depending on the sauce you use. Feel free to get creative and make a homemade sauce; I've just been using what I have in the fridge as far as pre-made sauce goes. 

You're welcome.

Appreciating My Kids (With Plenty of Pictures)

Hey y'all,

Phew, what a last couple of weeks! As you regular readers know, our weekends in September have been about fencing in pasture and establishing equines at Cedar Creek.
What I have failed to cover in the busyness of all that physical labor and excitement was the day-to-day happenings of the babies. Which, let's be honest, is pretty much just as exciting as establishing the homestead.

Playing with the bubble machine at our friend Tucker's first birthday party.

It's definitely never a dull moment around here.


Usually when I hear people -- especially moms -- say that, it's accompanied with an eye-roll or a sigh. And I get it, I truly do; sometimes you feel like you're drowning in those "never dull" moments. In the exhaustion that is being a mom and wife, it's really hard to not  feel completely burnt out all the time and even harder to see the upside always.

But as I say to you that it is truly never a dull moment around our neck of the woods, I am blessed to not be completely spent as I say it.

[Full disclosure: I'm now going to take a moment to brag about my kids.]

My kids are awesome, to put it simply. I have never enjoyed two kids under the age of two like I have these goobers lately. I swear my 22 month old daughter is one of the most polite and considerate tiny persons I have the pleasure of knowing; and I'm not sure I can really take credit for that. She also astounds me with her maturity; and I had no idea a kid her age could count all the way to 12 and back without me having to drill her. She sings all kinds of songs I didn't know she knew, I hear her going around the house talking about opposites ("cold -- brrr! hot -- phew! *whiping her brow* FORWARD!! back. Big. small *in a tiny voice* Light. HEAVY. *as if she were heaving something that weighed 2 tons*") We were hanging out at my mom's last week and she got down a shapes game. I told her I wasn't sure she was ready for it, and she proceeded to utterly shock me with how many shapes she knew. I've never known a kid who loves to read as much as she does; and I have no doubt that is one of the biggest reasons that she is already such an avid learner. I'm so proud of you, Katie.

I could go on equally about her brother. Mason is in that stage where he is testing all of his boundaries; but he shows so much self control and restraint. He is a really busy baby and doesn't enjoy sitting still very often; and he is such a boy about having to touch and play with and pick at and just generally get his hands into everything; so I was a little worried about training him to be obedient. He is learning so quickly about what he can and cannot touch and play with, and I hardly have to correct him more than a time or two. He is so sweet and outgoing to everyone we meet (friends and family are ecstatic about that especially after our first-born was more fearful and introverted). I have never met with a more musically-inclined baby at his age. He will strum on the guitar or tap on the piano or drums or whatever or even just dance to any kind of music all day. He is trying to communicate more and more with us every day; but the poor guy can only get out "DAH!" and point. He enjoys sitting with a book and flipping through the pages almost as much as his sister does. Several times throughout the day I will notice that it's very quiet while I'm cleaning the kitchen or folding the laundry and I will find them both sitting somewhere, each completely engrossed in a book. My heart melts every time.

Both Katie and Mason love love love to be outside, especially if there are animals involved. Mason currently says that everything makes the sound "meow". lol We listen to lots of music and we do lots of puzzles and play lots of games. These two are always down for an adventure, especially if it involves visiting a family member. They are both so much fun and I am extremely blessed.

Some of you may be gagging or rolling your eyes after reading all of that. That's ok; this is my blog and I'll post whatever I want. Like I said: I definitely know that the struggle is real. But I'm one of those people that goes back and rereads her own posts; and I know I have plenty on here about how hard it is. I want to have some good memories recorded on here, too.

Watching Daddy work on the tractor.

Also, their birthdays are just around the corner and this post about personalities and interests may help spark ideas for gifts. ;)

Well, She's Not A Donkey...

Hey y'all,

Many of you are waiting just as nervously and excitedly as I am to get our donkeys out to Cedar Creek. They were scheduled to be rounded up and trailered this past weekend.
But those burros proved a little tougher than expected to get separated from the herd; so they did not make it out this week. We're crossing our fingers for this coming weekend. Maybe.

I received the text about the no-go on the donkeys while I was browsing tack online. My saddle is a little small (my parents got it for me when I was 14, and I have had two babies since then...) and Jacob definitely doesn't fit.
Jacob had been out doing one last fence-check before bringing Baby Donkey home. I gave him the update and he plopped down on the couch beside me, browsing over my shoulder.
We reintroduced the topic of a horse for him, something we have been discussing more and more.

I showed him a group I'm apart of on Facebook that deals with buying, selling, and trading localish horses. I had been keeping my eye on the page ever since we started talking about bringing Joey home. He needs a buddy.
We started browsing and decided to throw up an inquiry post containing our requirements for an additional mount for Cedar Creek. Of course, within just a few seconds, we had messages and comments. One of the first was for a paint mare not far from our home.
We looked at each other, realized that we had already set aside our evening to deal with the burros, and decided it couldn't hurt to go see her and begin our search in earnest.
The babies woke from their naps as Jacob finished a phone call with the owner. We changed a couple diapers, got some sippy cups, and drove ten minutes to test drive our first prospect.

 Y'all, I have ridden a very wide range of horses over the years. We showed up and met the most bomb-proof filly I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life. Seriously. A medicine-hat pinto named Skye, and she's maybe 4 years old (though I suspect she's younger).
Without a whole lotta get-up-and-go, she wouldn't be my personal first pick; but Jacob got on her and it was immediately clear to everyone that they clicked. She loved the kids and has been pastured with a mini donkey and an old, blind gelding. Perfect.

We brought her home last night and discovered that she and Joey were a match made in heaven.
After having spent the last 10 years alone, my black gelding is literally the most obnoxious pasture-mate. But Skye just seems to take it all in stride.

Joey and I went for our usual ride this morning and Jacob followed us out to do some ground work with Skye. She astounds me more and more the longer I watch her with how chill this little filly is. Watching both horses now, you would think she was the 13 yo out in that paddock.

She is already the most perfect kids/beginner horse, and I suspect we have many enjoyable years ahead of us with this little paint filly.

Welcome to Cedar Creek, Skye.

Inside My Home: My Front Porch and My Front Room

Hey y'all,

Today we're going to pretend like you just rolled up outside my home. Maybe you're coming over for our regularly scheduled game night; or maybe you're getting off work and dropped in for a pick-me-up cup of coffee or tea before heading to your own home to begin your evening routine. 

If the kids were still snoozing away the late afternoon, I would invite you to sit a spell on my front porch and watch the sun cast shadows through the pine trees out front. 

And I would surely brag about my ferns. But we'll get to that later.

Hey, I said shadows.

 Yes, my front porch is a little bit of a mess. That garbage can is full of Joey's sweet feed, I have mismatched seating, and there is a cooler sitting in a chair I need to dump because I was teaching Loki that I don't place furniture outside for him.

But my ferns.

This would be your view to the right of the front door.
That's the horse trailer we borrowed to move Joey. His paddock is just a few
yards beyond that; so he's pretty much right outside my front door.

Our driveway curves around those pines. (Hello, Loki.)

BEHOLD MY FERNS.

Have you ever noticed how strange new growth on a palm tree is?
It's just a spear sticking out of the middle of the plant. Then somehow, there
are fronds that unfold outward from the center. 

 Clearly, my favorite part about my front porch are my ferns. That goes back to the fact that I do not by any means have a green thumb. This is simply a freak year, evidently; and I am enjoying every success. I pretty much grew up in the South, which meant I grew up with fresh ferns on my mama's front porch every summer. I couldn't even help keep those alive, and there was more than one person responsible. How terrible is that? But I suddenly have a home of my own, buy some knock-off plants, and -- KABLAM! -- lush, tropical green all summer. Like, I had no idea fern tendrils grew that long.


Ok, now I'm inviting you in for that cup of tea (and the babies are probably complaining at this point); so we step through my front door and this is what you see:

 A cat on the windowsill in the living room. Ha.
I'm just kidding (although, yeah), but -- welcome to our front room.
Originally we had talked about taking out the dividing wall between the living room and this front room and making it one massive open-concept living space. Still would be pretty cool; though I would like to add some indoor stairs leading to our then-to-be-finished attic. Maybe a spiral staircase? Ooooo.
At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about all the doors; but with two babies taking naps, they are nice to have. Especially to keep the cat out of the bathroom where she likes to sleep in the tub full of draining water. Yeah, whatever, you weirdo.

That dresser is part of our master bedroom set. With the way our master suite is laid out (which you shall see for yourselves sometime) we still can't fit all of our bedroom furniture, though it is the biggest master bedroom I have beheld.
So here is our dresser acting as office supply and crafting storage, perhaps someday to host homeschool textbooks.

You see all my fall decor on the ground?
Milly....

This room is clearly somewhat of a mess, too. Notice my fan because I can decorate like it's autumn all I want, but that doesn't mean it's less than 90 outside with anything other than 100% humidity.

That door leads into the kitchen, by the way.

 And that door leads into the hallway that connects the kids' bedrooms and bathroom. (What you see from here is Katie Jo's room.)

There is a random desk because I want to keep it for the kids because it's so small and perfect; but I have nowhere practical to place it right now. So it's one of those "key tables" where you throw your keys and purse when you come in my front door.

 That is a leather armchair we inherited with the house. I love it, and maybe when we have less of a need for toys in the living room, I can swap my toy cabinet for it. But for now, it's my cozy nook to read, write, sit with my laptop and work on the budget -- whatever.
Usually it's one of Katie's favorite hide-aways from her brother. She loves nothing more than a good book and a cozy corner. She definitely takes after her mother.

Also, that is, indeed, a telescope. Because we're those people.
I kid. It's a hand-me-down from my super sciency brother. Jacob and I are avid learners -- something I hope never dies in our home and gets instilled in our children.

Right now, this is kind of an awkward room in our house. I've envisioned a long dining table big enough for all friends and family for our frequent get-togethers and holiday meals.

I've also pinned some ideas on Pinterest about an informal school room. I'm thinking I'll call it our "navigation room." Stay tuned for updates. Maybe I'll get my spiral staircase.

So anyway, that's what you would see upon entering the front of my home. (Remember? I started with the back. )

You are always welcome to drop in for a soda and a chat or even just to love on some babies, whether they have fur or not. I find all of those things can be a wonderful balm to my soul.

Joey At Cedar Creek

Hey y'all,

Sunday was a big day here at Cedar Creek. I got to check off a bucket-list item: Bring Joey to live with me.

If you're not familiar with the name Joey Joey and don't know our story, take a peek here.

In short: Joey is my blind black Quarter Horse. He is 13 years old (for the last three years I have said he's only 7. Wow, how time flies) and I've owned him for the last 9 of those years.
He was not blind when my parents purchased him as a Christmas/birthday gift to me. He retracted recurrent uveitis -- or moonblindness -- boarding in a dirty barn and eating contaminated hay.
Something like that is always hard to struggle through, especially because I was a new horse owner when it happened three months after we got him. I was also only 14, and my family was not horsey.

He immediately moved from the compromised boarding facility to our small paddock with the beginnings of a barn (literally the skeleton); and that's where he's been ever since.
My parents provided what they could in the way of feed, tack, shelter, and riding and turnout space. They have been complete angels of the guardian kind watching over and taking care of my boy as I've gone through those major life changes that occur at the end of the teen years: college, jobs, marriage, moving out, having a family. Never once have they talked about getting rid of my dead-beat horse whom nobody else could or would ride. They simply cared for him until I could get things smoothed out and routine enough to be able to take on the full care of my beloved and ever-patient equine friend. Thanks, Mom and Dad.

That day came Sunday; and I lost so much sleep all last week just waiting for it all to be over.
Joey had not been in a trailer in almost 10 years; and the last time had happened when he went blind, and it was not a great experience.
However, with minor difficulties, he loaded like a dream and completely enjoyed the excitement of the hour-long ride to his new home.

Our first ride together in a while. Stayed inside the paddock where he's familiar.
I was trying to capture the amazing sunrise. My most favorite time
of the day is when the sun comes up.

I knew Joey would be happy with his new and bigger pasture that we spent the last three weekends fencing. In his smaller paddock at my parents', nearly 10 years of constant grazing left almost no grass. His new paddock has a section almost 1/2 acre large of thick grass in the sunshine; but I was a little leary of the rest: a forest of pine trees. With him being blind, I was worried about him navigating all the trees.
I have never seen a horse settle in so quickly and so happily at a new home. My heart was bursting with joy and thankfulness as I watched him walk and trot around his new home for the first three hours he was here. Hardly interested in all the lush grazing around him, simply ecstatic to stretch his legs and explore.

The original amigos. Both of these fur kids came into my life around the same time in high school.

Just wait until we introduce some pasture-mates this weekend. His cup will be running over.

I'm so happy that my morning routine now includes some time spent breathing in the scent of horse and taking a good ride before my regular coffee date with my husband, even if it means waking up earlier. Taking care of Joey Joey is a huge source of joy to me; riding him is just the icing on the cake.
I know we will explore many happy trails for the rest of our days together.

This is what Joey thinks of our early-morning rides.

A huge shout-out and thank you thank you thank you to the men in my life who have worked so tirelessly to make my dream of bringing home Joey Joey a reality. That includes my dad and brothers who worked wicked fast to bring him home that first summer. I love all of you, and could never thank you enough.

Jacob only thinks he's seen my horse-crazy... heh heh heh