Our Home Tour: Kitchen:

One thing I truly hated when walking through our house for the first time was the kitchen {ok scratch that, I honestly hated just about everything}. What sold us on our home though were the bones of the house. It was in the perfect location and had an incredibly large lot, all the things you cannot change. So with a little vision {which I am so grateful that I have} and a lot of work {which I am so thankful that my husband is incredibly handy}, we knew we could turn this house and this kitchen around and make it into exactly what we wanted. 

We created a checklist of things we knew we wanted for our kitchen; white cabinets, marble countertops {or a quartz marble}, farmhouse sink, microwave, a new refrigerator, and to get rid of the dated recipe desk. We actually went back and forth for a good while on removing the entire wall where the recipe desk sat and opening up the house a little more. I am so thankful we did not do that and instead created functional counter space & kitchen space. We ended up having a custom cabinet piece built to replace the desk area that consists of a large corner cabinet, wine rack, and a pull out trash/recycle drawer {something I HAD to have because there was no spot for a trash can}. 

We waited almost a year after moving into our house before we started renovations and I am so thankful we did. I always recommend living in the house {if you can; meaning it's a livable space} for a while before renovating because you would be surprised at how your list of things you want done will change. For example, I hated the built-ins in our family room and was adamant that they needed to go. I wanted them to be drywalled and covered, but I now love them and couldn't imagine that space without them {there are still little things I would like to change about them, but I am so happy we didn't get rid of them}. Another example is that high bar area in the kitchen. The only thing I was looking at for that area were new barstools because the bar was surprisingly high {we were going to need 43 inch barstools, and it was not going to be cheap}. Until one evening, we had a revelation... While I was doing dishes, Steven was sitting on the couch, he looked back at me {probably to ask me to fetch him a beer} and could only see the top of my head and right then and there he said the bar needed to go and we needed more of an island {I couldn't have loved this idea more!!}. 

When it was finally time to start the Kitchen Reno we had a great game plan set in place. We did a ton of the work ourselves which cut a lot of the cost, including; Steven demoing everything before getting started {He removed all of the countertops, demoed the entire recipe desk area, and cut off the entire bar and added a huge support beam into the wall}, Finding our own countertop slabs at a wholesale slab yard {we both wanted marble but thought a quartz marble would be easier maintenance but we could NOT agree on one. We randomly came across a wholesale slab yard and found EXACTLY what we wanted. They are Carrera Marble and high maintenance but they ended up being WAY cheaper}, Painting the existing cabinets, and using all of the same hardware {I wanted all new hardware, but I am fine with what was there and it saved money! So I'm calling it a win!}   

A lot of hard work went into this kitchen and I am so in love with the finished product! 

I love every detail we put into this space of ours. The rounded edge of the island, the custom wine rack {we actually had a wine fridge before but I honestly hated it so it needed to go}, the faucet {Steven's must have}, the InSink Hot Water Dispenser right next to the faucet {another must have for the hubs.}, the farmhouse sink {though my DREAM was to have a white cast iron farmhouse sink, Steven nipped that idea because he said it would be TOO much white.... There can never be too much white my dear!}. We compromised on the stainless steel which I am very appreciative of and still love! And last but not least, the feature wall underneath the California Island! I wanted this wall shiplapped {surprising, I know}, and since Steven had already done an amazing job in our Guest Bathroom I knew this would be a piece of cake ;) {thanks honey!!}. 

We could not love our kitchen more and are so happy with the end result!! 

Links

| Kitchen Towels | Wooden Cutting Board | Faucet | Hot Water Dispenser | Cafe Depth Refrigerator | Carrera Marble countertops found at local slab yard | White Subway Tile | "Flour" canister that I use as a vase was a HomeGoods find | Galvanized fruit stand was a Marshall's find | Marble & Wood cake stand was a random HomeGoods find | My Favorite Soap | Bar stools are way old and we just haven't purchased the ones that I want yet. 

Catching Moments: {13/52}:

*A little Throwback Thursday Catching Moments {since we've been sick and I haven't snapped any photos}.  Now that Spring Ball has officially kicked off, thought I would share a couple of shots from the last family baseball game we attended. We took the kids to Fenway Park for a Redsox game! We had the best day and the kids loved every minute of it!! 

Month of the Military Child:

"You never know how strong you are, until strong is the only choice you have"

"Strong", "resilient", "adaptable", "courageous" "brave"... words that often times define military children. While this is definitely true we need to also remember that they are still just children. Children who face more hardship than most adults, children who face long separations & deployments from their Mommy or Daddy, something no child should have to endure, but they do. These children are often times still so young that they don't even fully understand what's going on. So while yes, these children are absolutely strong, brave, resilient, and courageous... They are also still very "sad", "confused", "scared" & "hurting inside". April is the month of the Military Child and as you know, it hits very close to home for us. This is a month to truly show your appreciation for children with a parent who is serving our Country.

Our children show me every day that they are strong {sometimes stronger than I} but unfortunately our babies still struggle daily. All I can do is be there to comfort them during all hours of the day and night. Like wiping those late night tears strolling down their sweet little cheeks because they miss their daddy, hugging & kissing them as I see their crushed little soul as they watch their friends with their dad's, dealing with the tantrums/acting out because everyone is hurting inside, comforting them while they deal with so many emotions all at once, and continuing to tell them that even though daddy might not be home that boy does he love them!

Our Military Children serve this life we live proudly. They couldn't ask for a better Daddy and are truly so proud of everything he does for our Country. Our Military Children are special, they are truly one of a kind kids who don't take Daddy being home for granted. Our Military Children are without a doubt our heroes, they show us every day how to put a smile on their face even in the worst of circumstances. I would not be able to get through these days without them. I am truly thankful for how very brave they are and have been during so many hard times that they have already had to face. All I can do is hope & pray that I am doing something right for them.
So here is to our Military Children and to all Military Children!
{Wear your purple on April 13th to support & recognize Military Children}

Charli- age 5: Has lived in 5 houses, 4 states, 3 moves {across the country and up & down the East Coast}, and way too many months away from her Daddy to even begin to count.

Crew- age 3: Within just his very first year of life he lived in 3 homes, 3 different states, and made 2 moves.

"You are Braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, And Smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, Even if we are apart, I'll always be with you"- Christopher Robin

Easter 2017:

Easter has come and gone and we are well into yet another month. I swear Summer is going to be here before we know it and I will have two sweet babes heading off to school. Time, slow down just a little so I can soak up every bit of their childhood before it completely passes me by. 

Watching the joy that little things bring to their faces will soon fade, the days of dying Easter eggs will be lost, and trying to fit in all the fun holiday stuff will one day be lame. Though these days feel extra long right now, the years really are just flying by. 

So for now I want to focus on today, I want to continue to make every single thing I can special for them, and I want to cherish each and every moment {even when it's tough to}! 

We had so much fun kicking off Easter week with dying Easter Eggs this year. Nana & Papa came over to make the day extra special, and Mommy had a new way of dying the eggs to try out. Thanks to Better Homes & Gardens, I set up the "shaving cream eggs" and it was a hit! This will definitely be on our agenda every year now! {Soak eggs in vinegar first, Fill a baking dish with shaving cream, put drops of different color food coloring in, swirl around with toothpick, roll eggs in mixture, set to dry, wipe off with paper towel}. You will get the prettiest marbleized looking egg and the kids loved every bit of the shaving cream part! 

Easter week continued with Charli's class Easter Egg Hunt & Party. I love being able to make these days special for her and love getting the biggest hug when she see's me walk into class! "That's my mommy" she tells her friends! Oh sweet girl, I hope you are always proud to show me off! Her day was even more special as I got to attend by myself {Crew is always with me and I knew she needed just Mommy this time} so thanks to an amazing friend for letting me drop Crew off so I could be with just my girl! 

She found all of her 16 eggs, lined them up in a single file, opened each one to see what was inside, and said it was the best day of school ever! It really was such a special day! 

The day before Easter we had our annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt and festivities! It was a fun afternoon filled with cotton candy, dirt, playing, and just being with all of our friends! It was the perfect reminder of how lucky we are to be back in Jax and to have so much love around us! Oh and a special guest visitor was there... EB! 

 Easter morning had arrived and He had Risen. One of my absolute favorite traditions is attending Easter Sunrise service. I love teaching the kids and having them be a part of something so amazing. Though this Easter the weather was a bit crazy, the fog was so thick we did not see the sun rise over the horizon, but we could feel it in our hearts. It was still the most beautiful service as always! 

We came back home, kids jumped back in their pajama's and were ready to see if the Easter Bunny had hopped on by. And he sure did! 

We had such a fun & simple morning filled with baskets, treats, and an Egg Hunt all before getting ready to have our family & a few close friends come over. My parents have always hosted Easter for our  family and we took it over a couple of years ago with us being back! I love seeing our babes relationships grow with all of their cousins and Aunts & Uncles. There truly is nothing better! 

From my family to yours!